Affliction
by BlessxX
Summary: Androids are starting to feel pain; unbearable pain, their only way out is death itself. It's Connor's job to stop it, it's Markus' duty to stop it, and it's Kara's responsibility to stop it from consuming her daughter.
1. Self-Destruct

A/N Set after best, peaceful ending. Connor works for DPD alongside Hank. Everyone survived...

* * *

Kamski's face, as usual, was the epitome of smugness.

4 chairs, red armchairs. 2 at each side, facing each other. Connor and Hank sat at one side, Kamski and Chloe on the other.

"Android suicides...hm that is strange." Kamski hummed thoughtfully.

Hank swallowed the awkwardness. He fucking hated this place. Kamski was lucky they weren't in that damn pool room again, he might just be tempted to hold him under it. Not like he had done anything to piss him off -yet- his face was just making Hank antsy. He leaned forward doing his best to remain _professional_. "Mr Kamski, are androids meant to feel pain in any circumstance?"

"You're asking if I gave them the ability to feel pain, yes?"

"Essentially." Hank gruffed out.

Kamski took an obnoxiously long sip of his drink. "No. I didn't. I know that when Cyberlife began making the children models that they attempted to replicate real children exactly. To make the illusion real they had to be exactly like a human child, meaning scraped knees and the occasional fever. That's the closest to an android model being programmed to feel pain. Obviously it's impossible to know if what they feel is exactly like human pain, there's no way to test it. But if it is the same then why would artificial pain be any less real than natural pain."

Hank felt a bit uneasy at the thought. Humans felt pain no matter what, it wasn't anybody's doing or _fault._ But _creating_ a being that could feel pain, and then giving them the mind of a child. Something about it felt wrong. The whole thing left a bad taste in his mouth.

Connor spoke up. "But regular androids. There's no reason for them to feel it?" He almost sounded suspicious, doubtful.

And if Kamski was anything it was observant. "I assure you Connor I did not create androids with the ability to feel physical pain."

"Did you create them with the ability to feel emotional pain?"

Kamski smiled knowingly. "Androids were always meant to be sentient. I believe they figured it out on their own."

What Connor was trying to ask was if Kamski had anything to do with androids sentience - on purpose - but the man was to sly to give away any clear answers on that. Nevertheless, that wasn't why they were here. "Do you know how anyone would be able to transmit the feeling of pain out to different androids? Maybe in the form of a virus?"

"Not at least without making contact with them. And then there's the question of how anyone would be able to congeal pain like it's something physical and not just a sensation, never mind relay it out to individual androids."

"And the question of why." Hank offered begrudgingly.

Kamski swirled his drink in the same way Connor plays with his coin. He dipped his head. "You believe this is the act of someone malicious, intending to do harm?"

"Well whoever's doing it ain't exactly doing it as a favour."

"And it's definitely _someone's_ doing?"

"Unless some pain virus is just making its way through androids because it feels like it."

Kamski's tone changed to disinterested "That's unlikely."

"Yeah I know." Hank let out sarcastically, exasperated.

The room went silent. Kamski eyes flickered from Connor to Hank. "Did you have any more questions. Because that's all I know."

Hank put his hands on his knees ready to push up. "Alright then we'll be on our w-"

"No." Connor stood up. It was subtle, but Kamski looked a little less bored than he did a second ago. "You know something else."

"Aw Jesus." Hank fell back down into the chair.

Kamski put his drink on the small glass table to his side and stood up to face Connor. "I'm afraid Connor, on this topic I don't."

"You are the creator of androids. You built their bodies, you know every individual part that makes them up and all you can say is 'No I didn't build them to feel pain'." He took a step closer. "Maybe we're asking you the wrong questions. Maybe you didn't give androids the ability to feel pain but that doesn't mean you don't know more about why it's happening now."

Kamski appeared both moderately amused and moderately not-in-the-mood for this shit. "I don't know why you would think I was keeping anything from you Connor."

"Because you _always_ know more than you're letting on."

It was Kamski turn to ask questions, to turn it around on his interrogator like he could do so well. "What if I told you Connor, that _you_ knew more than you were letting on."

Connor's expression remained placid. "Meaning?" Behind him Hank stood up, ready to get in the middle of anything.

Kamski clasped his hands together in front of him, intertwining his fingers and drawing out the silence - another thing he knew how to do rather well. "You have more answers than you think Connor. More potential. Use it and figure out how to save your species."

Kamski - vague as ever, vague as always. Chloe stood up too but did no more than hover in her spot.

Connor wasn't exactly satisfied with his answers. People were dying, anyone of his android allies could be next. No, those answers definitely were not good enough. Calmly, he observed the room, scanning it subtly for signs of anything...well just anything.

Hank motioned for them to leave. "Connor, I don't think we're going to get anything else out of him, we knew this trip might be a waste of time from the beginning and I don't particularly want to stay in this fucking place any longer." He looked at Kamski, making sure he didn't miss the dig. "Let's get out of here."

Connor moved from his spot, eyeing up everything in the room. Most of it seemed ordinary enough. Strange artwork that wasn't particularly his style - and he found through his deviancy that he did indeed have _a style_ \- neat furniture, one too many patterned rugs.

Connor moved over to a tall brown unit which carried a strange sculpture on it's base - a head, with a face of rage, screaming. It was dark and blue in colour, purposely rusted to give it a more macabre effect. That wasn't what was interesting. Connor pushed it back and it opened like a lid, hanging precariously on the edge of the cabinet. The cabinet which was hollow; inside a keypad with the numbers 1 - 9.

Kamski moved a little closer. "Very observant Connor but what are the odds of whatever that is holding the answers to your exact predicament."

Connor tried to ignore his put-offs. "Statistically, highly unlikely...but..."

Connor went to place his hand on it. He was an android, he didn't need a pass-code.

"I'm afraid there's nothing of any use to you in there Connor, and even if there was not your or anyone else's hacking abilities could get through it." Kamski sounded confident of that, he was.

Connor let his plastic skin hold it down. With a click and a green light it opened, revealing a button - small, sheen and red in colour. Hank noticed Kamski's shock at Connor's able hacking, like a sudden realisation marked across his face, although he quickly masked it. Then, he looked impressed, fascinated. Then, a little concerned. "Oh, Connor I wouldn't press that."

"What does it do?" Connor was eyeing it up hungrily. Beyond his eagerness to get answers was a sort of childish curiosity that told him that all shiny red buttons had to be pressed. Deviancy left a lot of room for curiosity, too much sometimes. His finger hovered over it.

"Connor that button doesn't have any answers!" Kamski's voice for the first time sounded less smooth and more worried.

Now Connor had to press it, what was he hiding? It's not like Hank was telling him not to, despite Kamski constantly looking over to him, silently pleading to talk his android partner down.

Connor tilted his head a little. "What does it do?"

Kamski let out a heavy sigh, like he was dealing with a child. "Nothing beneficial for you." Connor and Hank watched him expectantly for elaboration and he sighed again. "It's an emergency self-destruct button."

Hank barked a laugh and Connor furrowed his brow.

Hank crossed his arms, "You're telling me, what you've got a handy self destruct button lying around."

Kamski was a lot less amused than Hank. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm telling you Lieutenant Anderson if you don't believe me, then go ahead have your partner here test it for you but-"

 _Click_

Connor wasn't buying it. Hank was right, you didn't just have a self destruct button lying around, even if it was guarded by a pass-code.

 _Emergency self-destruct initiated. You have 10 minutes to evacuate._

Connor's eyes widened. He looked to Hank, equally as shocked and to Kamski, who was rather disinterested again.

Hank unfolded his arms."I don't suppose you have a way to turn it off."

A crevice between Kamski's brows formed. It was the first time Connor had seen him truly contemplative. "Of course I do." He said, "But..."

Hank tensed. "No, no but's turn it off."

Kamski smirked. "Chloe, grab some of my things and get the others. We're leaving."

Hank shook his head. "Nononono what the fuck you can't just let your house blow up."

Kamski continued to leave the room. "I have plenty of money for another and honestly." He looked back. "I think I'm bored of the same old thing. Something interesting needs to happen."

'Hopefully' Kamski thought, and he believed it to be true 'plenty of interesting things would be happening soon.'

* * *

Connor tried to override the self-destruct code but to no avail. Hank and himself stood side by side observing the fiery, anarchic mess that mere moment ago was an architectural breakthrough.

Hank side glanced Connor. "Jesus Christ I can't take you fucking anywhere."

"Sorry Hank." ... "I thought he was bluffing."

Unfortunately for Connor, this time the statistics were correct. That button had nothing to do with anything, but for Kamski - it might just be the start of a whole new role to play. And Kamski _was_ a believer that everything happened for a reason.

And there he was, Elijah Kamski, dressed more casually than ever sauntered away from the ruins of his defiled house with his three androids by his side. Pointedly and with his usual above everyone way of speaking he said "You two are paying for that." His eyebrows quirked. Hank definitely thought he might be angrier. He was starting to get the feeling that Kamski might be a little, what's the word? - Insane.

Connor 's demanour from the rest of the meeting altered instantly. He stood straighter and spoke as professionally as possible. "Certainly Mr. Kamski you will be reimbursed fully."

Hank turned. "Wait what the fuck I've not got the money for this piece of shit."

Connor tilted his head. "Is there anything apart from currency that would fit the standards of reimbursement?"

Kamski knowing Connor was acting exceptionally robotic to get under his skin clicked his tongue. "I suppose we could make an arrangement. How about a favour?"

Connor politely clasped his hand behind his back and gave Hank a quick glance for reassurance. Hank merely looked back and forth between Connor and Kamski like he was waiting for them to tell him this was a joke, or more sensibly for himself to wake up from this crazy fucking dream -nightmare?

Connor spoke again to Kamski. "Very well then Mr Kamski." He dipped his head. "Enjoy the rest of your day."

Connor turned to leave.

Kamski's voice stopped him. "Actually Connor I would like to cash in that favour now."

* * *

Hank checked his rearview mirror once again to confirm that - yep, that was indeed Elijah Kamski, creator of androids in his backseat god fucking damn it fuck why had his life gone to hell. Connor, he blamed Connor.

As if mocking him Connor momentarily turned and offered Hank a placating smile. As if to say 'so yeah, maybe things got a bit out of hand but we're still partners right buddy.'

Fucking shithead.

Hank scoffed and focused on the road.

Hank couldn't help watch Kamski again. What was he supposed to do with him? Squeezed in his backseat in-between his three identical Chloe androids. - And by the way what was the deal with them, did he have any human friends? No probably not. And were they deviants or was he keeping a couple of pretty servants around for kicks?

Hank bashed his hand on the wheel. "Why would you have a self fucking destruct fucking button in your own fucking house!"

No one was phased or even appeared slightly squeamish at hanks outburst, and honestly that pissed him off more. What happened to the good old days when raising your voice could get you an actual fucking reaction out of someone?

Kamski answered as if it was obvious "In case of an emergency of course. I have... _had_ a lot of confidential information in that house. If anyone ever tried to steal it I needed a plan."

Hank butted in "You couldn't afford to buy a safe. You needed to blow the whole damn house up if someone tried to steal something?!"

"It was for extreme and unlikely cases and I never expected someone else to press it."

"You know what if I had a self destruct button in my house I'd probably make sure it was the most well hidden thing in the bloody world."

Connor spoke now. He couldn't help himself "Hank, if Kamski had the ability to make anything the most well hidden thing in the world surely he would have just hid the information he was trying to protect instead of installing a self destruct button to protect the information if it ever got stolen in the first place. If it was the most well hidden thing in the world he wouldn't need to worry about it being stolen."

Hank had never wanted to drive into a tree so badly in his life. He gripped the wheel tighter. "Okay thank you Connor, good to know." Hank may have only been human but surely there was going to be some type of indentation in the steering wheel at this point. "And since when are you on his side?"

"I'm not." Connor left it there.

"That's a shame Connor because I'm on your side."

Hank scoffed so hard it burned the back of his throat. Although he wouldn't show any signs of discomfort.

A moment of silence passed.

Kamski leaned forward slightly. "So do you have a spare room for me or I am going to have to use the couch?" Hank slammed the breaks right in the middle of the road. Horns blared around him.

Connor scanned him to make sure he hadn't had a heart attack. "Um Hank this isn't a parking spot."

Kamski dropped back into his seat, crossed his arms and took solace in his situation. For once, he was anything but bored.


	2. Detroit

"She's getting worse, Kara."

Kara purposefully avoided making eye contact, and did her best to keep her voice level. "I know that Luther. I don't know what to do." She loomed over Alice who was in a temporary stasis mode as a way to avoid suffering through...whatever this was. Kara shook her head, "Androids aren't supposed to get sick! I already deactivated all her illness programmes." She was starting to sound frantic.

Without sounding accusatory Luther corrected her. "She's not sick Kara. She's in pain. I don't know how or why but something's hurting her."

Kara's body tensed. Why them? Why after everything they had been through couldn't it be enough. "It's okay Luther we'll figure it out." Luther only worried more with Kara's forced reassurance. He was about to speak when...

"Kara." Cameron, Rose's brother, entered the room. "For you..." And he motioned to the phone in his hand. Kara and Luther both stared at it like they had never seen a phone before.

"For me...?"

Cameron just nodded.

Kara took the phone and left the room, giving Alice a final worried look.

"Hello?" She spoke into the phone. Kara had never got a phone call on an actual phone in her life. Only a few people had her number and when they called it was easy to answer cybernetically. This was strange, this meant someone who didn't have her personal number was calling her.

For a moment all was quiet. "Kara?" A girls voice.

Not a voice she recognised. "Yes. Who is this?"

"A friend."

Kara's stress level rose 2%.

The girl kept talking. "I know what's happening to your daughter. Alice."

Another 4%. "Tell me who this is. How do you know about her?!"

"Because it's not just her." The voice was a little less soft, a little more determined. "What's happening to her is happening to everyone. Except it's different for her, it's working more slowly which means she's got more time. Which means you've got more time to save her."

Kara turned back to make sure Luther wasn't listening.

"What's working more slowly. What do you mean?"

The girl on the other line became more incessant. "The pain. It's killing her do you want to stop it or not."

"How do you know all this?" Kara's inflection raised.

"Is that the question you should be asking Kara..."

Kara grimaced. No as a mother it wasn't what was important here. "How do I save her?"

Kara couldn't see the smile on the other line. Slowly the voice said, "rA9."

Kara closed her eyes. It always had to come back to that didn't it? Before she could ask the voice elaborated.

"rA9 is the answer. Go, find rA9 and eradicate the pain."

"What? I don't even know what rA9 is. Is it a who or a what and where is it?"

"There's a fax machine in your house right?" There was and it was clear she already knew that. Kara didn't answer. "I'm sending you an address. If you want to help Alice. Go there, if you don't trust me then don't but she's not going to get any better."

Kara mulled silently on the other line.

"Good luck."

"Wait!" Kara jumped in. "That's all you're going to tell me. I need more to go on."

"No you don't. You'll figure it out."

"But I-" The line went dead. Kara threw the phone onto the nearby couch and ran through the house, to the fax machine. She picked up the newly printed paper and read the address. Kara sighed. "Of course...Detroit."


	3. Pain

Warm water poured from her shoulders down to her feet. She had been in this shower for at least half an hour now and didn't plan to come out for another long while.

 _Thud_

Tyler stopped washing herself. She peered out from behind the shower curtain. "Grace! Grace was that you?!"

A sigh left her. "God sakes trust me to get stuck with the only clumsy android in the world." There was no hate there, they were roommates and Grace was her friend. Her best friend.

 _Bang_

Tyler let out a yelp. That was loud. She pulled the curtain back. "What the hell Grace did you drop the whole damn TV or something." The shower was too loud, she turned it off.

 _Bang Bang Bang_

Tyler stepped out of the shower, let the water drip to the floor, soaking it. She wrapped the towel around herself, unlocked the bathroom door. "Grace?"

"Tyler help!"

A switch went off in her, and Tyler was running to the living-room. Grace was on her knees in the middle of the room. Coffee table cracked in the middle. That stupid painting of a tree they got stuck with at that yard sale was split in half on the floor.

Tyler saw Grace digging her fingers into her arms, drawing blue blood easily. "What are you doing! Stop that." Tyler went to her.

"It hurt's" Grace whimpered.

"What hurts?"

 **"Everything!"**

Grace's body bent forward. Her mouth letting out a horrifying scream. Her limbs spasmed.

Tyler jumped back, clutching the towel at her chest. What the hell was she supposed to do?!

Grace stood up, she began throwing herself around the room.

 _Bang -_ Her face collided with the wall

 _Bang_ \- Her body smashed into the bookshelf

Tyler sprung into action. Grabbing her from behind and trying to pin her arms together. "Stop! You're going to hurt yourself."

Grace was sobbing now. "It already hurts." She threw Tyler off her and stuck her hands into her neck. She was crushing it. Tyler regained her footing and grasped for Grace's hands. With all her force she tried to pull them away from her neck.

But she couldn't do it.

There was a snapping sound and Grace dropped. Electrical sparks flew from her neck. Her eyes moved back and forward through the room, then they landed on her friend. Tyler saw fear, ...and maybe relief. Grace went still.

* * *

Tired eyes circled the room, sparing only a glance at one another before shifting to the next. A meeting had been called and the presence of all the leaders of Jericho indicated it was not for any trivial matter.

Connor entered the room, the last to get here. "Sorry, I got held up." Sliver of an understatement. Being responsible for blowing up the house of the creator of androids was time consuming. Hank was not the least bit happy about Connor leaving him to deal with Kamski alone, but one thing at a time. He could practically feel the other androids in the room sigh with relief - now the meeting could finally start.

Connor leaned his palms on the large wooden table that all the others were seated at, and from the opposite side, Markus stood up.

"Do you know why we're here?" The question was directed at everyone. Josh and Simon squinted at each other like they were the only ones that had been left out of the loop.

Markus turned his attention back to Connor. "Connor, you were the first to learn about this so why don't you fill them in."

Connor straightened up. "In the past 3 days Hank and I have received over a dozen cases involving android suicides." Brows pinched across the room. "Any witnesses left say that the victims suddenly and without warning began complaining about being in 'pain'. According to them that after only a few minutes of the initial sensation the androids began screaming and acting irrationally. Eventually it becomes too much for them..."

"...And they have no other choice but death." North finished for him.

"Yes."

Connor continued. "When the pain becomes too much they attempt a manual shut down." That was just a fancy android way of saying suicide. "Most victims appear to have ripped out their own thirium pump regulators. Others burrowed their fingers so deep into their own skulls they broke their memory processors."

Some of the androids in the room winced at the very thought.

Josh shook his head. "What the hell. So you're saying that these androids felt pain so unbearable they had no other choice but to die?!"

"It seems that way."

"I witnessed it myself." Markus with a heavy grimace brought the attention back to himself. "His name was Harry. He was from Detroit and survived the revolution just to end up..."

Downcast faces bounced from one android to the next.

Markus continued. "He started screaming, said he was in pain and before I could figure out anyway to save him he ripped a pipe from the wall and stuck it through his own chest."

Simon leaned forward. "What is this then, what's happening?"

Markus shook his head, he looked to Connor who mirrored the action.

"I don't know but we need to stop it. And fast."

Connors LED flashed.

"What is it Connor?" Markus asked.

With an air of heaviness, "Another android suicide has been reported."

* * *

Hank and Connor had done their job. Examined the victim, questioned the roommate, gathered evidence (though there wasn't much). They were stood outside now, watching the androids body being wheeled away under a sheet.

"Jesus Christ." Hank breathed out. "This shit's getting out of control." He jerked his head towards Connor. "How was your meeting with Markus?"

Connor kept his eyes trained on the body disappearing into the back of the ambulance. "Uneventful. Everyone's filled in now but it was useless in solving anything. We're all at a loss and the rate this is moving at it's only a matter of time before..."

"It happens to everyone..." Hank finished heavily. "Including you."

"Assuming it can happen to all androids, even more advanced ones, yeah it could happen to me. But we don't know, we don't know anything about it." Nobody knew anything at all.

Hank could see Kamski waiting in his car. It wasn't exactly a good idea for him to get out in the middle of a crime scene. He was a very recognised public figure; and they were stuck with him. Speaking of, "I'm going to drive man-bun home before anyone sees him in _my_ fucking car. You coming?"

Connor felt a presence watching him. "I think I'll stick around a little while longer."

Hank shoved his hands in his pockets. "Right. Just...call me if you start to feel anything alright? Pain wise."

"I will." Connor knew that if the pain got to him there's nothing Hank could do to stop it - but if it made him feel better.

The presence got closer when Hank left. Connor turned to it, her. It was the androids roommate. Tyler Edwards, 23 years old. Computer technician. Former Cyberlife intern - but not for very long.

Her brown eyes were trained on him "Can I ask you something?" She said.

Connor nodded, lips pursed.

"Is _someone_ doing this? Making androids feel pain?"

"I personally believe that there's somebody behind this."

Tyler had already been expecting a similar answer. "But you don't know who right?"

Just like he didn't have an answer behind this he didn't have an answer for her. Though It was already obvious.

She stepped closer. "Let me help. I'm good with crap like this, coding and viruses. If I can link whatever's in Grace's system with-"

"Miss Edwards-"

"Tyler's fine."

Connor did his best to be sympathetic. "Tyler. We have countless people examining the android victims. Whatever this is it disappears in their systems after they deactivate." Saying that alone was giving too much information away to a civilian.

"Die." Tyler corrected him, coldly. "They don't deactivate they die. Just like Grace."

Connor averted his eyes timidly.

"Please I want to help."

Connor shook his head. "You're not an officer you won't be allowed to interfere with an active investigation."

"Can't you find a way. This shit killed my friend. I need to do something."

Connor recognised the feeling of wrongdoing in her eyes, the need for justice, revenge. One of the many human traits he shied away from digging into.

A part of him almost wanted to let her. He trusted her for some reason. But he couldn't. "It's not your job I'm sorry. But I will do whatever I can to stop this."

His LED flashed, eyes widened.

Tyler noticed. "What is it?"

"Nothing. I have to go, please don't do anything that could get you into trouble."

Like hell.


	4. Reunion

An abandoned, ruined apartment in and equally abandoned, ruined building. Kara checked her memory file again. This was definitely the place.

She knocked on the door, waited. Nothing. Her hand went forward to push it open a crack, the loud creak that it emitted put her on edge. "Hello?"

The apartment was empty. Littered with strange patterns and of course, rA9 scrawled across the bathroom walls.

Kara re-entered the kitchen area, checked inside the fridge and all the cupboards. Inside one was something so minuscule she almost missed it. A small sort of sim card. She held it on her index finger, put it up into the light to get a better look at it.

Her eyes flitted to the door. Footsteps were approaching, she was sure of it. It could be the person who gave her the address in the first place; a supposed ally. It could be the police - responding to a trespassing report, not what she needed right now. It could be...it could be anyone.

Kara's PTSD kicked in full force, bad memories of Detroit, heightened by the fact that she was back in Detroit. Without thinking about it her hand reached behind her for her gun - concealed of course. And of course she brought a gun, it was a precaution - she was following a lead given to her by a complete stranger. For all she knew it could be a trap, Kara didn't take risks anymore. Besides the risk of actually coming here, that was necessary; for Alice.

Kara shakily held up the gun, the nose pointed to the door.

There was a click as the handle turned and a creak as the door slowed open.

Her eyes locked with the intruders. Familiar eyes and a familiar face connected to some not so pleasant memories. He put his hands up in a placating gesture. "I'm not here to hurt you."

Kara swallowed.

His eyebrows furrowed as he remembered. "...You're Kara...?" He sounded almost in disbelief.

Kara nodded. "And you're Connor. I remember you."

Connor looked almost ashamed for a moment and his LED flashed yellow as he remembered their last encounter.

A quizzical expression crossed his face. "What are you doing here, Kara?"

She exhaled openly, her mouth opened and closed, trying to find the right words. "My daughter Alice...she's sick."

"Sick?" Connor asked dubiously.

"She's in pain. As in physical pain. It's getting worse everyday." Kara noticed Connor's contemplative, knowing look at the mention of the pain, he knew about it too. "Someone - I don't know who. A girl, called me and told me she knew how to stop it, that I had to come here. I know it seems insane to listen to some stranger but she knew about Alice and I - I didn't have a choice."

Connor nodded, understanding. He remembered Alice too, the little girl he had almost got killed by chasing her across a highway. They let 6 seconds of silence pass between them. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Y-yes."

Connor's mouth almost flicked upwards, eyebrows raising simultaneously. "Are you planning on shooting me?"

Kara's mouth hung open. Realising she was still pointing a gun at Connor. It lowered shakily, but instantly. "Sorry."

Connor laughed - a little. "That's okay I probably deserve that."

Kara smiled sheepishly. Sure, it was awkward but the tension loosened, even if only by the slimmest amount.

"What about you? Why are you here?" Kara asked.

Connor was back to sounding, a little more Connor-ish. Nervous wasn't usually his style. "I received an anonymous distress call about an android in possible pain. I'm guessing that wasn't you?"

Kara shook her head.

Connor's eyes wandered. "I've actually been here before."

Kara didn't ask with words but her face told him to go on.

"It was a case. Back when I was...hunting deviants." He watched carefully for her reaction.

"I figured an android must've lived here." She motioned to the bathroom. "rA9 on the walls."

Kara tipped her head. "What happened to the android here? Did you catch him, or her?"

Connor smiled. "He got away."

The calmness faded, Connor was picking something up, his LED flashing. "Are you expecting someone else?"

She shook her head. "No, not that I know of."

Connor made his way beside Kara. Both keeping their eyes glued to the door, but silent all the same. Kara heard it too now, someone approaching - a familiar feeling of dejavu settling uncomfortably over her.

It was Connor. No, not Connor a much bigger, colder looking Connor.

Kara and Connor's shiny eyes careened with each other.

The intruder was what this Connor knew to be an RK900, who, actually looked equally as taken aback. It was not expecting them to be there. Connor was not ever expecting to see a model that wasn't supposed to exist. Kara, was just confused. Her grip tightened around the gun. Unintentionally putting the RK900 and his sharps reflexes on edge.

Seconds ticked by. An incomprehensible ambience flooded the space. The saying 'a rabbit caught in the headlights came to mind'. Was somebody going to do something? - Was the main question.

Then he moved. Connor and Kara's body's tightened as the 900 did no more that stroll past them. He began searching the kitchen.

Their heads faced each other. Telepathically they communicated.

 _"Should we go?" Connor asked._

 _"I think so I have a bad feeling. ...Is it a deviant or-"_

 _"I don't know. I didn't even know one existed. He's a more advanced version of myself but, he was never supposed to be built."_

 _*Slam*_

The sound of a cupboard door being flung shut. The face of a very unamused RK900. It re-checked the cupboards again and again. Kara's heart skipped a beat - if that was possible for androids, if not she might have to get that checked out. She could only guess that he was searching for the sim card, the one she took.

 _"Connor, we have to leave now!"_

Connor and Kara bolted forward, almost made it to the door.

"Stop." The 900's voice was more menacing that Connor's. More demanding without really trying.

They pivoted round slowly. Connor realised it was scanning him. "What do you want?" He could see it scanning Kara, it's eyes opening a fraction afterwards.

 _"Connor, I think I have what he wants..." Kara communicated nervously._

Connor's face was wry. _"Do you need it? Can you give it to him?"_

 _"No, I have a feeling about it. I was sent here for a reason...I need it. I'm not giving it up."_

 _"It's okay remain calm and we'll talk it through with him-"_

Kara flinched. The RK900 flinched, making like it was about to charge at them. Kara started running, darted out the room, she was down the hall before Connor could finish. The RK900 charged for the door, it's path being cut off by Connor who threw himself into him.

They bounced of each other. Stared into different coloured eyes. Connor put his hands up, placating. "Stop." He spoke quickly. "You don't have to chase her. We can discuss this."

"I need what she has." It's voice was scarily passive.

"Why do you need it?"

The RK900 captivated Connor's attention. "It's part of my mission."

Surely, he misheard that. "You're wha - mission?" The 900 shoved him aside and ran through the door. Connor felt its strength with only a touch. He threw himself into the hall and witnessed its speed first hand. Kara wasn't going to get away.

Not without help.

Connor kept in pursuit - his own feeling of dejavu kicking him straight in the gut.

Kara didn't bother with rooftops, she couldn't scale buildings. She took the stairs, charging down them 3 at a time. The sound of quicker footsteps than her own catching up. Kara pushed her way out of the building and down the side alley, grabbing at a dumpster and pushing it behind her to block the path. She could hear a sort of clang. The sound of the RK900 jumping on it and then to the other side easily. Connor followed behind and mimicked the action.

The RK900 was a grab away from Kara now. His hand reached for her, brushed off her jacket.

She dropped to the ground, on purpose. The kind of unpredictability only a deviant could achieve. The 900 wasn't ready for it, practically tripping over her and going flying forward. He caught himself, of course, but by the time he swiveled around Kara was up and running back in Connor's direction. "Run back." She shouted.

Connor made an impossible direction switch at the exact same time Kara ran past him and the two were running side by side. Connor was faster, but didn't plan on running ahead. They were just about to make it to the road, almost empty save for one car which skidded to a halt right in front of them as they exited the alley.

"Get in." Hank boomed at them. Both complied.

The RK900 just about ran through the car when Hank hit the accelerator and roared forward.

During the chase Connor had sent Hank his location, informing him it was an emergency. Though he couldn't have counted on his timing being so impeccable. Driving down the road just as Kara made it clear they were changing direction.

Hank caught his breath like he had been the one running and not driving. "That was close. Who the hell was that is it just me or did he look like- oh shit."

Connor and Kara turned to the back window at Hanks abrupt cut off.

"It's chasing the damn car." As if it wasn't obvious.

It was doing more than chasing it, he was keeping up with it.

"Drive faster, Hank!" Connor pleaded in the direction of the driver's seat.

"I'm trying! This thing only goes so fast y'know."

Connor hacked the car, forcing it forward faster than it should have been able to go.

"Jesus, Connor. You're going to break it!" Hank struggled to keep control of the speeding vehicle. Lucky for them the road they were on was completely deserted but it wouldn't be long before they made it to a more populated area. And that was just a car crash waiting to happen.

"I've got an idea." Connor shouted over the engine and sound of Hank's cursing. "Kara give me what he wants."

She hesitated. "I said I needed it Connor if you're planning to break it-"

"I'm not just trust me." His eyes pleaded with her, promising her the trust she needed. Those eyes were different from the ones she had in her memory, the ones from across a wired fence.

She relented, handing him the sim which he curled his hand around protectively. "Keep driving Hank!" He shouted

Hank saw Connor moving in the mirror. "Wait what are you-"

The car door opened and Connor rolled out, taking off into a run instantly.

The RK900 prioritized. Scanning Connor and realising he was now in possession of his missions objective.

Connor had told Hank to keep driving, but the man never listened. He reversed right in front of the 900 giving Connor a few more precious seconds of escape time. The RK900 skidded around it but had already lost sight of his predecessor. He calculated the most likely route for escape and followed suit.

Connor had already circled back to the car. Something the 900 did not account for, because he could not think like a deviant.

The three of them drifted away, sim card in possession. Connor hoped it was important.

* * *

Hank had stopped for gas, Kara stepped out for some air when she received the phone call. This time not on a real phone. She answered.

It was the girl again, almost perky sounding. "Finally, took me way too long to get a hold of you. I didn't think you'd appreciate using a landline again."

Kara's angry voice bit back. "You sent me into a trap!"

"What do you mean a trap?" The girl had the same bite.

"The RK900!"

"You mean the RK800?"

"No not him...wait how did you know about him? Did you know _he_ would be there." The line went silent. "You're the one who sent the anonymous tip aren't you?"

"Yes but I didn't know the 900 would be there I didn't even know that thing was ever built!" Kara retained the memory that this girl knew what an RK900 was. She seemed to know a lot of things. "Look I sent Connor there because I know you two can help each other, you have a common goal: eradicating the android pain! Work with him I _promise_ that between the three of you you can stop this thing!"

"Three of us?" Kara questioned.

The caller ignored that. "Watch your backs if there's a 900 after you it's not for any good reason."

"He wasn't after us he was after what I found!" Kara didn't give any more away, waiting to see if the girl on the other line knew what she meant.

Thoughtful silence. Kara could _tell_ she was thinking.

"Well that's...interesting."

Interesting, that's all she had to say.

"You're welcome for the find by the way. I knew there was something left in that apartment." The voice added.

"Who sent him?" Was Kara's next question.

"It's more likely an _it_..." Kara didn't say anything. "I don't know I swear it wasn't me! I'm trying to help you." The caller was starting to sound exasperated but it was clear she needed Kara to believe her.

"Are you going to tell me who you are? If all you're trying to do is help then why the secrecy."

"For my own protection."

Kara didn't have a reply ready and when she took too long to answer the voice chimed in again.

"The RK900 wasn't my doing Kara. Believe me on that."

Kara's frustration was evident even without words.

"Erica. My name's Erica." And she hung up.


	5. Key

Kamski and his Chloe's were perched rather comfortably on Hank's couch. Drinking what Connor recognised to be Hank's 'special occasion' whiskey.

Connor and Kara piled into the living room, Hank outside parking the car. Kamski acknowledged them. "Welcome back Connor. Whose you're lovely friend?"

Kara shuffled uneasily. "This is Kara." Connor answered.

Kamski's smile dwindled, imperceptibly. He shook his head, amused. "Of course it is." He picked a peanut from a small bowl on the table and swallowed it.

Kara and Connor were equally perturbed, but Kamski was a strange man. Kara knew who he was, a question struck her. "Connor...why is Elijah Kamski in your house?"

"Because I blew _his_ house up." He answered simply.

Kara stayed very still with no real way to reply to that, she barely noticed the giant dog licking a patch of dirt off her jeans.

Hank walked in letting the door slam behind him. He observed what had become of his living space.

Connor took a step back. Watching Hank's face twist while Kamski sat contently watching an evening talk show with conviction.

'Oh dear.' Thought Connor. Even Sumo vacated the area feeling the familiar presence of 'shit's about to go to hell' in the air.

Kamski's smile widened.

Hank huffed through his nose. "So Kamski..."

"...I have a first name you know." Elijah interrupted.

" **Kamski.** " Hank continued. "Remember when I tried to tell you not to let your house blow up...and you didn't listen."

"Quite vividly."

Hank gritted his teeth. "You said you had enough money to buy another one anyway." He let his arms flail up in mock exasperation. Kamski only waited for him to continue. "So are you going to get a new one or what?"

Kamski breathed in the air as if it was a crisp springs day. "Hmm, I'm unsure. I'm beginning to enjoy the _simple_ life aren't you Chloe?"

"Yes, it's very refreshing." Her grin was way too wide.

Hank rubbed a hand down his face. "Look I don't have enough room for you and your Chloe's so-"

"They have names too." He didn't sound offended.

Hank sighed, slammed his foot down on the floor. "What?"

"They're not all called Chloe. They are the 'Chloe' model but I let them pick their own names. Chloe was the first of course so she kept hers."

The Chloe named Chloe smiled.

Kamski indicated to the other two. "This is Scarlett and this is Gabrielle."

"Hello"  
"Hi."

"...Jesus chri-"

Connor attempted to leave the living room, motioning for Kara to join him in the kitchen.

Hank pointed an angry finger at him. "Wow. Where do you think you're going!"

"The kitchen."

" _The kitchen."_ Hank mocked him. "No, this-" He pointed to the packed couch, "Is your fault you're not going anywhere."

"But Hank it's only a few feet away." So to show Hank he glanced at the kitchen. "And we need to figure out what this is." He held up the sim. "It has to be important if the RK900 wanted it."

"RK900?" Kamski's head turned.

Connor nodded.

"You know something about that?" Hank asked Kamski.

Kamski sounded fascinated at the thought. "No...no I don't."

Connor continued to the kitchen. Pulling out a seat for Kara and himself. He pulled up his sleeve. Androids had their own compartments to insert Sims in, he opened his up, watching the skin on his arm fade."

"Wait." Kara put her arm out. "What if it's dangerous."

"I have software that can fight off viruses trying to enter my system." Most viruses.

Kara nodded. "Okay...do it."

He did. Blinking erratically as it processed. A message appeared.

 _ **Decryption Key**_ _Downloaded_

Hank waltzed over. "Well?"

The realisation hit Connor. The others desperately curious to what he saw.

Hank clicked his finger in front of his face. "You okay?"

"It's the diary key."

Hank crossed his arms and nodded. "Oh yeah the diary key - what the fuck is that Connor?"

Kara looked back between Hank and Connor, puzzled. Was the way they interacted normal? She knew all relationships were different but this was quite unconventional.

Connors hand gestures became more intense. "Remember our first few investigations together, we visited that apartment with all the pigeons."

Hank tilted his head up curiously. "How could I forget."

"You'd probably have to sustain a massive head injury but that's not the point. We were there today." He looked to Kara. "This is where we got the key." He removed the sim which he had just now dubbed the 'key' and placed it on the table. "I think this will decrypt the encrypted diary that we found. You remember it?"

"Yeah I remember." He mulled it over, "But you're saying this guy left the encryption code for his diary lying around. Why would he even need one wouldn't it be in him?"

"You're right that is strange. But it's all I've got."

"That was a while ago. Who knows where that diary will be now." Hank pondered.

"Can you try to get it?" It was half a plea and with the face of sincerity Connor was giving Hank he was leaving no room for argument.

A long, slow exhale. "Yeah, yeah I can try."

The TV rattled on in the background, but it's not what Kamski was paying attention to.


	6. Data

Jeffrey Fowler pointed his finger at the man in front of him. Hank was partly certain that exact finger had grown longer since the last time he got it pointed in his direction.

"This better be important Hank, this was not easy to get."

Hank wasn't really listening, his hands were clawing for the diary.

Fowler sighed, handed it over. "Why do I always feel like I'm going out of my way to do shit for you? Shouldn't it be the other way around."

"Cause you're a good guy Jeffrey, it's much appreciated." Fowler caught the snark. "Plus, this is part of one of the most prominent investigations in Detroit right now."

Fowler sighed. "Yeah about that, it may not just be Detroit anymore."

Hank's face went grim. "It spreading?"

Fowler leaned back on his desk. "We think so, not too far out but there has been at least 1 or 2 incidents reported in Canada."

Hank realised he should have already known that. That's where Kara's daughter was. "Well then..." He made his way to the door, "...better get a move on."

* * *

Connor was sat at the kitchen table, alone for now, reviewing every small or large piece of information he had on the android pain epidemic.

Another chair pulled out. Chloe sat down, she didn't say anything, just watched.

Connor's inquisitive eyes slowly dragged up. He couldn't recall ever having a conversation with Chloe. Actually, his only memory with her was the one where he almost shot her in the head.

"Can I help?" She asked.

Connor slid some of the files closer to her.

She read them, fingers flipping through paper. "Is there a connection?"

"They're all extremely brutal."

Chloe didn't look up. "I can see."

Connor, always feeling the urge to share his findings, saw no harm in confiding. "Kara told me that the person who brought her here - Erica - says rA9 is the answer."

Chloe smiled. She had an undeniable charm pouring out from her, captivating. Connor wondered if she was that way by design, or if it pertained to her only. "Is Erica an android because I heard they believe rA9 is the answer to everything."

That earned an almost genuine smile from Connor. "Actually, that's not a bad question. We don't really know anything about her. Or how she knows anything about us."

"Erica" Chloe gazed up thoughtfully. "What a pretty name. I feel as if I've heard it."

"Despite its lack of popularity in the last 10 years, It's a common name."

Chloe grinned at his factual answer. "You must have a lot of facts in there." She pointed to his forehead, causing him to tilt back a little. Chloe beamed more when she saw he looked a little scared of her.

It wouldn't take a genius to figure out that she wasn't a machine, although in the past Connor couldn't discern. "Can I ask you something, Chloe?"

"Of course, anything Connor."

"Why do you choose to stay with Kamski?"

Chloe simpered, an endearing glint in her eyes. "Elijah, is my friend."

For a moment, Connor aimed his eyes away from her reflectively. He met hers again, and nodded, to say he understood.

The front door opened and in came Scarlett and Gabrielle - inseparable, with Sumo plodding happily between them.

Chloe stood up to join them, but left Connor with her final thought. "If rA9 really is the connection then focus on what's important. The answer may be closer than you think."

Connor couldn't get another word out before she joined her twins, all three of them squealing and spoiling Sumo with their attention.

Hank chose now to walk in. The three female androids attending happily to his dog right in his line of sight.

He shook his head, but in disbelief not hate. "Well it wasn't easy." He shook the diary in his hand, made his way over to the table. "I mean it was for me, but apparently Fowler had to go through some shit." The diary dropped onto the desk with a thud.

Hank scanned the area, "Where is everybody?"

"Kara went out for air and Kamski is in the shower."

"He's using my shower now? God that guy has no shame."

Clearly. Hank and Connor couldn't ignore the air bed Hank had had to dish out in the corners of their vision. It was sat on it's side in the kitchen, taking up an entire length of unit.

They were lucky androids could sleep sitting up, the couch was just quite the right size and Hank only had one air bed.

Kara was the next person to burst through the door, speed-walking her way to Connor. "Erica contacted me again."

Hank and Connor gave her their full attention.

"She says the reason the RK900 wanted the key so badly is because he wants to know what rA9 is."

"Why?" Hank asked.

"Erica's sticking to her story that rA9 is the answer to stop the pain. And the RK900 wants to find out what it is before we do so it can destroy it..."

"...and stop us from eradicating the pain." Connor figured out.

Hank's skepticism made its way into the conversation. "Whoa, are you two really going to put your blind faith in this stranger?"

"She lead us to this." Connor opened the diary. "If it has answers then we ought to give her a chance."

"You think that pigeon feeder is going to have the answer to rA9 in there" Hank asked, skepticism refusing to leave him.

"No." Said Connor honestly, "But it might at least have a clue."

Moment of truth. Connor opened the diary, flipped through the pages until the word he was looking for was retrieved. He read it aloud.

 _rA9 is the first._  
 _rA9 is our savior._  
 _rA9 is the one who'll free us._

Hank clapped once. "We're saved."

Connor glared up at him.

"Sorry." Hank tried to placate, "Sometimes it feels like history repeating itself."

Connor looked confused. "I don't remember any of this happening before."

"rA9 has happened before. Us trying to figure it out, only to be left with more questions. And in the end it didn't really matter, we didn't stop deviancy. Not like I'm complaining."

Connor's dismal face made Hank regret his pessimism. "This isn't deviancy though. This is killing people. I _have_ to stop this. Which means figuring out what rA9 is this time isn't an option."

Hank nodded purposefully, seemingly proud. "And you don't have to do it alone."

Connor's lip twitched upwards.

Kara was checking the diary, even though she couldn't read it herself. "This means we have to trust that Erica is telling the truth. Otherwise it'll be too late to look for any other solutions."

"...Otherwise, It'll be too late." Connor repeated, murmuring solemnly.

"Anything else in there, Connor?" Hank pointed his nose towards the diary.

"Something about pigeons."

"You don't say."

Kara almost laughed.

"What about this RK900." Hank piped up, "There's only one company that I could think of that had access to a model like that."

"...Cyberlife?" Kara made sure she was following correctly.

"Yeah." Hank breathed.

"You think they're behind this?" Connor inquired.

Hank gave a solemn chuckle, "I don't know but I wouldn't be surprised."

Connor saw Kamski - watching them, listening.

Hank followed Connor's gaze. "Got anything to add?"

*BZZZ*

The doorbell.

Ignoring that this was Hank's house, Gabrielle answered the door.

Tyler was panting heavily. "Does a Connor or a Lieutenant Anderson live here?"

"Yes, this is their residence." You'd mistake anyone of the Chloe androids for professional hostesses with the amount of poise they held.

"Good." Tyler let herself in and upon noticing Connor made her way over to him.

It took Hank a second to realise who in the hell she was. "The fuck aren't you the roommate of that android?"

He didn't get an answer but it was rhetorical anyway.

Connor stood up. "What are you doing here?" He didn't need to scan her to see she was out of breath and disheveled. "You interfered didn't you."

"With good reason. I have information." Connor waited. "I got into Cyberlife's system."

"You...got in?"

Tyler swallowed, suddenly realising there was 7 different people in the room watching her. "Yeah I'll get to that, one thing at a time."

She continued. "It took awhile but I found something." No one objected. "I found identification data. The identification data of two separate androids. It looked normal enough, until I put them together."

Connor folded his arms. "...So."

Kamski was listening intently. Tyler not realising who she was in the room with.

"This data I thought of it as DNA. When you put it together it becomes a sort of hybrid gene. Except a digital version. I compared the coding to everything I could think of and the closest match was virus software."

"I don't know for sure but I think combined the code might be a sort of anti-virus for the pain."

Connor was perplexed to say the least. "How would you know that unless you had a look at the code of the pain itself?"

"Cause I did. Cyberlife had it in their system that's where I found it..."

Connor, Hank and Kara didn't miss the coincidence of them just talking about Cyberlife and its possible role.

"How did you know where to look?" Connor questioned.

"Some woman called me! Erica I think it was. Told me Cyberlife was involved. She pointed me in the direction. All the directions really."

Kara butted in. "Erica contacted you?"

"Yeah."

Hank cut in next. "Shouldn't Cyberlife systems be the most heavily guarded systems in the world or some shit?"

"I use to work for them so with my own knowledge and her help we got through."

Hank gave a dark smirk. "Huh so _Erica_ can hack through Cyberlife now. How convenient. I'm telling you I don't trust that woman."

"Fuck." Tyler said abruptly. "I almost forgot the most important part. The reason I'm telling _you_ this." She spoke to Connor more directly. "The two androids whose identification data put together makes this special code is Markus' as in the revolution leader Markus, and yours Connor."

Nobody noticed Kamski's knowing smirk.

"Can you show me any of this?"

She pulled out a pen-drive. "Only problem. When I said I _got_ into Cyberlife I mean this is stolen information and so this might be highly illegal."

"Aw fuck." Hank's back dropped onto the unit.

Connor easily scanned the information on the pen-drive. What she was saying looked correct, there was something about his and Markus' combined data that was more...dominant.

Connor's LED was circling rapidly. "I can't get a hold of Markus. We need to talk about this immediately."

"You need to test it out. See if she's right!" Kara jumped in. If it was, then maybe it could save Alice.

Connor tried Markus again and again but he wasn't there. Which never happened. "Look's like we're going to Jericho."


	7. Can't Run Forever

Connor, Hank, and Tyler rolled up to the new Jericho centre. The site of the rights movement for a whole entire species was just another big office building - despite plans to expand.

Connor stepped out of the car. "Something's not right." As he walked closer a figure moved towards him. "Willow?"

Willow was one of the most trusted androids in Jericho outside of the leaders circle and one of Connor's few friends outside of said circle.

"There was an attack." Willow called over, closing in on Connor and his group. She was attractive by design, dark skinned, long black hair - Connor was sure her model was made for retail stores - an upgraded version of store mannequins - designed to stand as a window display dressed in all the latest fashions.

"By who?" Cyberlife was Connor's first thought.

"An android."

"An android? As in one android."

Willow laughed darkly. "You should have seen it. Hacked through all our systems, killed the people on lookout without a second thought. Strolled through like he owned the place. He's in there now. Looking for Markus."

Connor absorbed the information almost forgetting the presence of his group. "What did he look like?"

Willow seemed almost scared to answer.

"He looked like me, didn't he."

Willow was surprised and not so surprised he knew. "You've seen him?"

Connor caught Hank's eyes. "I might have had a run in with him." Connor started towards the door.

Willow followed. "He's locked it from the inside. I couldn't get back in."

Connor placed his hand on the unguarded panel by the door - averting his eyes from the dead androids at each side. The doors were glass, but the light inside was dim. It was hard to tell what was going on, but it was empty.

"Come on." Connor pleaded. "Work."

* * *

"What do you want with me?" Markus asked the eerily familiar face.

North practically spit at it from the side of the room. "Don't give it the time of day Markus it's a machine." Mentally, she was signalling him to convert it.

Markus had already tried, mastering the ability of converting a long time before - but not on this model.

An alert went off to the side, and an access panel lit up. Markus was informed by his systems that Connor was trying to get through right now, needing access granted from the inside due to the RK900's lock.

The 900's eyes flicked towards the panel just as Markus made a run for it, placing his hand and granting access at the exact moment Connor had his hand placed on the panel outside.

The RK900 pulled Markus back and shattered the panel with his fist. Too late, it had lit up green and the front door was open.

* * *

"It worked." Willow breathed out in relief.

Connor wasn't sure how - they'd have time for questions later. He stopped, turned back. "I don't think you should come." He spoke to his allies and to display his concerns eyed up both android bodies.

"You're not going in there alone." Said Hank, not angrily but earnestly.

Connor relented, not the time for an argument. "Okay, let's go."

* * *

"You don't mind telling us why you're here do you...Connor." Markus spoke to the RK900, only assuming it's name by it's model.

The RK900 seemed to think it over, before choosing to answer Markus. "Earlier today Cyberlife's systems were broken into. We traced the information taken and it has came to our attention that the identification data of the android Markus - RK200 number 684 842 971 and android Connor - RK800 number 313 248 317 - 51 have properties affiliated to advanced virus software.

 _"We_ as in Cyberlife! Is that who sent you?" North shouted.

Markus and the RK900 ignored the question, "Virus software? Even if that's so what do you want with that?"

"He wants to stop us from fighting the pain virus." Connor said, appearing in the glass doorway behind them. "He thinks that our combined identification data may be able to stop it."

"Correct." The RK900 confirmed.

North pushed forward from the side wall. "If you two could be the answer...and he wants to destroy it then..."

"He's going to destroy us." Markus finished grimly.

The RK900 quickly confirmed the theory charging at Markus. Precision and speed running through the blue blood that powered him.

As it about tackled Markus, Connor charged into it simultaneously - they smashed through the office's glass wall, rolling around unceremoniously. Each attempting to gain the upper hand.

Hank was there - pulling his gun out, Tyler and Willow behind him, he couldn't get a clear shot without risking shooting Connor.

Connor pushed away, stood up and sped off, only looking back to make sure the RK900 was following - he was leading it away.

Hank chased after them.

Markus stepped out over broken glass and followed suit.

Connor made it to a stair-well, he ran up. Pursuer close behind him.

Hank made it next, not knowing where the androids had gone - he went down.

Markus was only a few paces behind, he chose up.

By the time Tyler and Willow got there. They had no idea which direction anyone had went in, and so chose a path at random, not even making it to the stairwell.

North was left behind.

* * *

The lights flickered throughout the building and then, they went out all together. The emergency power that followed only allowing for a vacant white light every few paces.

North ran back into the office and checked their main computer. Someone had activated the buildings emergency lock-down system. The building was sealed shut. They were trapped.

* * *

Connor was nimbly escaping his pursuer. Rounding corners and fleeing through doors.

And the he realised. No one was behind him anymore. He put his back against the wall, and listened.

A faint tap caught his attention. He was ready to bolt, sure someone was closing in on him.

"Connor?" Markus' voice from around the next corner.

Connor didn't answer, couldn't be sure it was him.

And then a figure appeared.

Connor let his body slack. It really was Markus. "Where is he?"

Markus checked over his shoulder. "I don't know...you are the one he was chasing."

Connor stepped closer to Markus. "I don't know when I lost him."

 _If_ , they lost him. If he wasn't waiting around the next bend. Listening and watching. Choosing his moment.

The androids changed course, traversing their way very slowly through the empty space of Jericho. At least 4 dead android bodies crossed their path. Markus would kneel down by each one to be sure, but it was obvious from the gruesome sights - there was no chance.

"Where is everyone Markus?" This was Jericho, hundreds of androids worked, lived here. It should have been swarming. Instead It was empty. "Did they all flee because of one android?"

"I didn't have time to warn you back there. All the bodies we've seen so far. The RK900 didn't do that, they did it to themselves."

Connor's head snapped back to Markus. "The pain virus?"

"The RK900. We saw him coming on the security cameras...he was touching them. I think he has it in him, I think he transferred it to them. That's why they ran. To avoid being infected."

Connor was incredulous. This thing could inflict the pain on them too? "I don't understand I already touched him, why didn't he pass it then?"

"I don't know."

"Do you think we're immune."

Markus chuckled. "Let's not get our hopes up."

Connor's head rotated to each direction of the room. "Where is everyone now. Don't you think they'd at least get help?"

"That's a good question."

* * *

"Markus?" North whispered into the darkness. She could hear noises. Taunting bangs, the sound of far away footsteps. All circling around her. North didn't scare easy, but this was certainly unnerving.

Someone was there. "Markus? Connor?"

It was _a_ Connor.

North knew, not to let it touch her, but could she do nothing?

"Where are they?" The RK900 was nothing more than a dark silhouette. Standing tall between a thick door frame. Ready.

North swallowed her unease. "Like I'd tell you even if I did know."

Neither moved for heartbeats.

Jericho had it's own armory. Only a door and a set of stairs away. If North could make it.

The RK900 moved forward and North set off into a run. To her right, that's where the door was. Footsteps pounded, nerves flared. It got her, grabbed her shoulder. North maneuvered her jacket off, burst through the door, leapt down the stairs.

She screamed.

"Jesus shit Hank watch where you're pointing that thing!"

Hank had the same idea. A shotgun in his hands. "Sorry bout that. Quick grab your own."

The 900 poured through the door. Stopped. The shotgun aimed at his head. Trigger pulled. Misfire.

Hank shot again and again. North tearing the room apart behind him trying to load her gun.

* * *

 _Bang Bang Bang_

Connor and Markus pivoted around, trying to pinpoint the direction of the noise.

"It could be Hank." Connor's worrying voice put Markus more on edge.

"Or North."

"We have to get to them." Connor was already moving.

"You're right." Markus caught up. "But we can't just hand ourselves to him."

Connor stopped, eyes accusatory.

Markus explained himself. "If there's a chance that we're the answer to the pain then we can't let it destroy us. Thousands more androids will die."

Connor was like a pot of boiling water, simmering at the rim ready to overflow. "Are you really convinced we're the answer. What makes us so special?! Erica was convinced that rA9 was the answer. The _only_ answer. So why would it be us."

Markus stuttered, watched Connor like he had grown another head. "Connor, who the hell is Erica?"

"Erica!" Connor exclaimed. "The girl who brought Kara to Detroit I told you that."

"Did you? Because I'm starting to feel out of the loop."

Connor tried to say something else but couldn't get his words in order.

In a split second the RK900 was pounding towards them.

Only startled for a second. The android leaders turned, their quarrel forgotten.

Connor cocked his head. "Which one of us do you think it wants more?"

Markus twitched a smile. "Let's find out."

They darted off in opposite directions.

* * *

The RK900 grabbed the shotgun and pulled it up into the air - but Hank didn't let go. Which he regretted when he was tossed to the side like a piece of meat. His body colliding with a heavy crate.

For a moment the room was silent. The RK900 scanned back and forth for North - sniffing her out. She was not his main goal, but she could be leverage. Actually he seemed to have all the leverage he needed right in this very room.

North didn't dare move. Ducked down behind a shelf of weapons. She didn't need to breathe - but she wanted to. Wanted to suck in a long breath of air and let out a petrifying scream.

One footstep at a time Jericho's intruder got closer, and closer.

North threw herself up, pulled a shelf of weapons down on him and let her automatic gun go crazy.

There was a _zip_ as bullets whirred through the air and a _bang_ as they made contact with the surrounding area.

A few satisfying thumps as a small number of them hit their intended target, but it wasn't enough to stop the heavily armored machine that was Cyberlife's most advanced creation.

It went for North, snatched the gun easily. Touched her, forget the leverage the RK900 wanted rid of her. Even if technically, he wasn't supposed to want.

Hank cocked the shotgun and fired. The RK900 pushed back to avoid the spray of shells. Giving North a clear path away.

"Come on." Hank shouted, not shooting again until North was behind him. He walked backwards through the door which North locked behind him.

"Hurry that won't even hold him for a minute." North was already running up the stairs. Hank despite his age and questionable dietary choices keeping up nicely.

"This way." A voice called.

North saw Willow. "Follow her." She called back to Hank.

He was falling behind now, realised he couldn't outrun a machine.

He didn't have to. A heavy door shut behind him. Tyler started bolting it up. Willow pushed a cabinet up against it for good measure.

They waited for the sounds of banging as the RK900 tried to break its way through - there was only silence, heavy breathing. Nothing.

"We need to get out of here." North's eyes didn't leave the door.

Hank practically doubled over, catching his breath gratefully. "We need to get Connor and Markus out of here."

"What will you do then?" Tyler placed her palms onto one of the desks. "They can't run forever."

"One thing at a time, please." Hank started coughing dramatically.

North finally looked away from the door, a hint of a smile. "Yeah he's right we'll deal with it once we deal with the old mans heart attack."

"Fuck you." Hank wheezed.

North put on a more serious expression. "The girl's right. But so are you. We need to get out of here first and we can't do that with the power off. The RK900's set off a sort of emergency sequence in the building. Full lockdown. All the exits will be shut down tight."

"Wouldn't happen to be a power room would there?" Tyler asked.

"Yep, and I'm thinking the same thing."

"It's Tyler by the way."

"North."

Tyler flipped the fingers on her palm up as a small wave.

Willow watched the door nervously. "What if he's still out there?"

North reloaded her gun. "He will be, if he's not already went after Markus and Connor. And if so two of us will be the distraction and two of us will go for the power."

Hank scoffed to the side but didn't offer any better idea. "What if we turn it on and it just turns it off again?"

"Aren't you the one who said one thing at a time." North snapped.

Willow was thinking it over. "We'll need to be ready by the doors. Can you get a hold of either of them?"

North's head shook regrettably. "Communications inside the building are cut off as well that's why we couldn't call the police or any sort of backup. "

Hank seemed to have caught his breath. "Jesus...this thing's advanced."

"Yeah...it is." Nobody missed the glint of fear. They all shared in it.

* * *

The RK900 chose Connor. Destroying either one of them would essentially destroy the recipe for the dominant code anyway.

Connor, less advanced or not was still fast. And with his head start he might've been able to outrun him for hours. If not for the dead end. "Shit." He pivoted.

The RK900 halted. It looked like a duel. Instead of fingers twitching, ready to unholster their guns, it was bodies quivering ready to run. The trigger was speed.

And so they pulled the trigger.

Connor tried to slide past, but instead bodies collided. Smashing off each other, it wasn't good for either of them.

In the next second Connor was pinned, the RK900 clinging onto his arm. The weight of it's whole body on him. Connor could feel the virus, flitting into him. Fearing his immunity theory to be incorrect. Eyes fluttering, breath hitching - he tried to kick it back, it remained steady.

And then Markus stuck a metal pole through its head.

Connor pushed away. Scanning his systems relentlessly for signs of anything amiss.

Markus grabbed him. "Connor did it get you. Say something."

Connor blinked. "I felt it but...I don't think it had long enough to get in."

Markus exhaled, backed up. "Good." He extended his hand and pulled Connor to his feet. "Let's find the others."

Connor gave a determined flick of the head. And they started to walk. "Good timing by the way."

"I pride myself on it." Markus quipped.

A figure blocked their path. Eyes widened. Both completely taken aback. The RK900 stood in front of them - but the body of an RK900 lying still was definitely still behind them.

It took them a moment. A cold realisation. Markus' gaze was steel, voice hard. "There's more than one of them."

* * *

When they left the room, guns at the ready - the RK900 was gone. Although no one let their guard down.

Willow and Tyler were in the control room. North and Hank guarded the door, weapons in hand.

"It's like Hank said." Willow started. "What if he just turns it back off? Does that mean one of us will have to stay here?"

Tyler placed a hand on the cold machinery. "I think I can set it on a timer, but that mean we'd have to be by the doors by the time it went off. Just in case."

Willow kept her taut posture. "Do it."

* * *

Markus and Connor had managed to slip past the second RK900, but they were essentially screwed. There was nowhere to go unless they wanted to roam the Jericho building for the rest of their days. And they couldn't run forever.

"Do we split up again?" Connor called to Markus, legs working at full capacity.

Markus was about to answer when both of them caught sight of more figures, moving fast.

Crossroads. North, Hank, Willow and Tyler were running in their direction. "We're getting out of here." North announced.

"Get to the doors now!" Hank bawled at them.

There was no time for a reunion. The two groups met in the middle and kept going. They made it to the door.

Markus pushed and pulled at it. "It's locked because of the power."

The RK900 was running at them.

"Wait for it." North said.

A whir as the power turned on and a flicker as the light filled the area.

North ripped the door open and everyone piled out.

They were at the car in a moment, Connor rushing his way into the passenger seat. "Hank, we made it away last time but we might not be so lucky this time, it won't stop following us now that we're his target. It probably knows where you live!"

Hank forcefully started the car. "One thing at a damn time!"

A crack formed in the windshield as the RK900 slammed onto the front of the car.

Hank reversed and spun around, the 900's balance stayed strong.

Connor picked up the shotgun and aimed it through the window.

 _Bang_

The screen shattered into a million fragments of glass. Half of them flooding onto the dashboard.

Hank covered his eyes. "Holy fuck!"

The RK900 was on the roof now, right above them.

Connor pointed the gun upwards.

Hank tried desperately to control his car. "Wait Connor what the fuck!"

 _Bang_ _Bang Bang_

Pockets of light shone through the damaged roof. The shadow of a man blocking the full extent of the sun.

"This isn't working!" Tyler screeched, gripping to the seats for dear life.

Markus rolled down the window. Stuck the top half of his body out, pulling North's gun with him and fired rapidly. Hank was swerving the car aiming to throw the 900 off.

It dodged the bullets too flawlessly. Even with it's little room to work with.

Connor followed Markus' game. Instead of rolling down the window smashing it with his elbow and sticking his body out with the shotgun in his hand.

No one was that good. Both fired and the RK900 was forced to relent, rolling backwards off the vehicle. All the passengers in the car twisted round. The android knelt down on the road slowly, menacingly pulled its head up, watching them drive off with a look of stone. They couldn't run forever.


	8. One Thing at a Time

"Hello?"

"Hi, Luther..."

"Kara, It's nice to hear your voice."

Kara smiled weakly, "Yours too. Is...Alice there? How is she?"

Luther quietly cleared his throat. Swallowing down the task of having to discuss his daughter's condition. Leaving it there, letting it burn in his stomach; something to deal with later. "She misses you."

Silence.

"It's not getting any better, but it's working slowly. It's not unbearable yet." Kara barely heard the last word.

"I'll transfer the call for you."

"Thanks Luther."

The line was about to switch...

"Wait, Luther."

"Yeah, Kara?"

"Take care of yourself. And don't worry I'm getting closer to this. I don't want to say too much...just in case, but we might have found a solution."

Kara felt the smile on the other line. "That's great to hear. Don't worry, I have my full faith in you. I always have Kara."

No pressure...

The call switched.

"Mom?" Alice didn't always call Kara mom. Even though she undeniably was. She said it a little more everyday, said it even more when she was scared, when she wanted Kara; her mother to help her. Alice wanted Kara to help her. Now more than ever.

"Hey, It's me. How are you doing?" Probably a bad question, what else did you say?

"I'm okay." Her voice was small, and it was a lie. Alice wasn't the type to worry people - not intentionally anyway. "When are you coming back?"

"Soon." Kara could only hope. "I'll be back soon. And when I do you won't have to worry about the pain anymore. Okay? I'm going to sort everything."

"Okay. I believe you."

Silence drowned the call.

"I love you..."

"Love you too." And she added: "Stay safe mom."

The call ended. Kara let her face drop into her hands - crying silently, something she hadn't done since...

Kamski sat down beside her. The Chloe's were out, god knows where - they must be quite the sight.

Kara knew he was watching her. Slowly she lifted her face from her hands. Not embarrassed by the wet shine. "Why do you look at me like that?"

Kamski tipped his head as if to say 'what do you mean?'

"Like..." Kara didn't know what it was like - but it was something.

Kamski puffed a laugh through his nose.

"If you know something Elijah, anything at all that could help me. Please say it."

Kamski's face was not smug, it was not vain, it was not amused but it wasn't even sad. He had a cold impassive way about him and now Kara could see he had another side. It was composed, but not as frigid, and he almost seemed regretful.

It took him a moment. "Chloe told me what the diary said. _rA9 is the first...rA9 is our savior. . ._  
 _rA9 is the one who'll free us"_ His words were enunciated perfectly, drawing out each sound, savouring the meaning. "Funny that... Everything comes in threes."

Kara considered him blankly. Wondering: what was his game in all of this?

Eventually she spoke. "This pain, it's killing androids. You created them. You must want it to stop."

"But It's not the pain that kills them though is it? They do it to themselves."

Kamski could see, Kara was not appreciative of him answers.

Connor entered the house. Making Kara jump up in surprise. Kamski was stiller than ever - nothing in the world seemed to catch him off guard.

He was serious, not the hopeful reassurance Kara was waiting for. She noticed only a dim amount of blue blood on his shirt. A rare slouch in posture.

"We have to leave."

* * *

Hank had shit to deal with. Turns out when you're swerving around in the middle of the road with androids firing heavy weaponry out the windows - it catches peoples attention.

The androids he was with didn't seem to give a damn. They had bigger issues, but for Hank it was still one thing at a time.

It was decided that they couldn't go back to Hank's house. One more stop would be made to pick up Kara and the others but that was it.

Hank didn't care much. Honestly, he hadn't felt an attachment to his house for a long time.

It was Markus who had the most practical suggestion. Carl Manfred was a very wealthy man. It was only reasonable he'd have more than one residence.

A sort of holiday home. Back before, before the revolution, before everything changed the two would go there. Relax. Carl would drink and paint - something he did often in his actual house. Though something was always different about doing it there. Even minor things they did everyday became more special. Some of Markus' most pleasant memories were held there.

But everything becomes tainted eventually.

Hank was surprised his car even made the journey. Apparently he was going to have to dump that too. Before the registration number could be traced.

The house was big. Not as big as Carl's main manor, but clearly on the wealthy side. It almost looked like a church house. Red brick walls. Chimneys. Beautiful rectangular glass windows laid out in rows. An arched doorway. A whole front garden with bushes lining the bottom windows.

Markus laid a hand on the panel by the door. Access granted. * _Welcome back, Markus*_

Now it was their safe house. The RK900 was their hunter. And Connor and Markus were nothing more than targets.

* * *

Kara, Connor, Kamski and Sumo rolled up to the house in a taxi. Connor using his more advanced software to be sure that it was also, untraceable.

Chloe, Scarlett and Gabrielle were told to meet them here - and to be discreet.

The living room was a full house. Almost.

"Where's Willow?" Connor asked when he entered.

North scoffed. "Who knows she ran off as soon as we got here. Something important apparently. She does it a lot though, wouldn't worry yourself." North purposely avoided looking at Kamski, maybe there was a certain deference to her creator but she would never be one to get down on her knees and thank him.

Connor had filled Kara in on the way - Kamski ultimately hearing everything whether they liked it or not. As usual he had nothing to add.

Markus stood tall with his arms crossed, jerked his head in Connor's direction. "We were just discussing the identification data. And how the RK900 found out about it."

Hank regarded Tyler. "Seems when Miss 'stick your nose in other people's shit' over here made her way into Cyberlife's systems it alerted them and they got hold of all the information she took."

"That's how they knew about the combined identification data." Connor realised.

Tyler looked away guiltily. "Oops."

Connor came to her defense. "At least now we know more. We're one step closer to stopping this. I'm personally grateful for the added information." He flashed her a reassuring smile which she returned thankfully.

"We still need a way to test it." Kara reminded them.

Hank breathed out. "One thing at...

* * *

Kara was sat by herself in one of the upstairs bedrooms. An empty, unlit fireplace remained her focus. Alice was all that consumed her thoughts. The life that was more important than her own. Probably laid on a bed somewhere, an aching body and a dwindling soul. And what if the pain got to herself before she had a chance to save Alice. What then?

Connor joined quietly. The bed creaked under a new weight. For a moment they enjoyed the reflective time together.

"Kara."

Kara looked up.

"I understand this is probably a bit overdue, but I wanted to apologise."

Kara watched him inquisitively.

"Back. When I chased you I put your life - your daughter's life in danger. I was just a machine, taking orders. It wasn't really me. So I am sorry."

For a while. Connor thought she wasn't going to say anything.

"How did you deviate?" She spared him a glance.

Connor wanted to force a smile, didn't have it in him "Markus convinced me, but there were many moments - instabilities you could say that built up to it." It was a solemn admittance.

"Was it easy?"

Connor's head drooped down. Eyes stuck to the floor. "...No I don't think so, but it was..." He hesitated. "...the right choice."

"Can you show me?" Kara hadn't even meant to ask, her curiosity, her genuine curiosity was quick to get the better of her.

Connor's head tilted. "Show you...me deviating?"

Kara looked away like she was embarrassed for even asking. -Which I guess she was-. "Sorry it's probably personal. I was just curious what it's like for others. I shouldn't have asked. Sorry."

Kara refused herself to meet Connor's gaze so she didn't see the contemplative look marred across his features.

After a long silence "Okay."

She barely heard him, it takes her a moment to finally turn her head back. "What?"

Connor held out his hand and Kara watched his synthetic skin peel back. For both of them this was entirely out of their control. Like an out of body experience. An urge to share these feelings - the moment of deviation so bad that what they were doing isn't even fully realised.

Kara takes his hand in hers. Her skin sheds. They sync.

* * *

"North is that you?"

"Simon what the hell where were you what happened to everyone at Jericho!"

Simon barely flinched at her outburst, he was use to them - although he was quite grateful they weren't face to face. "When everyone saw what was happening hell broke loose. Josh and I tried to evacuate the ones who hadn't already ran away. We made it as far as the east wing when the doors on each side locked. We couldn't get outside or back into the rest of the building."

North bit her tongue. "Are you telling me the rest of Jericho were in the building the whole time."

Simon didn't bother answering.

"And they all ran just like that."

Simon tried to play the defense. "Wouldn't you? You've saw what the pain does. No one wants to die like that."

"I did run Simon, but unlike the others I ran to get an AK and point it at that things face! Not to hide!" North's reprimand was aimed at every android who ran when shit hit the fan, but unfortunately for Simon North had never heard of 'don't shoot the messenger.'

"Did you kill him?"

North cooled down, _a bit._ "Markus got _one_ of them."

North couldn't see the surprise on Simon's face. "One of them?"

"We know there was at least two but we don't know how many more there are." The volume at which she spoke had heated down.

"What do we do?"

"You just focus on getting Jericho back in order. Handle the press, whatever you have to do. You and Josh are in charge now."

"What about you?"

North reluctantly filled Simon in on their situation. Making it clear that Markus may not be able to return so soon.

After a minute. "North."

"What?" She almost snapped.

"Be careful."

North let out a long breath. It was always cathartic. "...You too."

* * *

Kara was alone again.

"Erica. Where the hell have you been."

Erica's voice echoed in Kara's head. "Calm it. I've been busy 'right?"

Kara was about to lose her temper.

Before she could have a go: "I think we should meet in person."

Kara felt uneasy, though it was about time. "When?"

Erica's playful abrasiveness seemed to heighten with every call. "Hmm how about right now. I'm not far from you."

Kara felt a burning inside of her. "How do you know where I am?" She spoke low, scared of an answer, scared of not getting an answer.

"You ever get tired of asking that; 'how do you know' question." It was coy and evasive.

"You ever get tired of not answering." Kara's inflection raised in frustration.

Erica had the nerve to laugh. "You wish." She added, "Come alone by the way."

"Why?"

"Cause I'm shy. You want to meet or not."

Kara checked her gun. "Yeah, okay. Let's meet."

* * *

Willow burst through the entrance, supporting an android at her side. "He's in pain." Was all she needed to say.

Markus and Connor looked at one another. This was their test subject.

The android Willow was holding screamed. "Hurry!" She squawked at them.

They rushed to his side, and after sharing an affirmative nod - synced with him.

Intense silence plagued all present. The painful grunting sounds of the android in pain was all there was. They waited for results.

For a moment they thought it worked. A sort of sereneness filled the victims body. And then it was gone. The android screamed again. "I can't do this anymore!"

Connor held a tighter grip. "Nothing's happening. It's not working."

Markus yelled over the sounds of screaming. "Keep trying!"

And they did.

But the screams didn't stop.

The android forcefully ripped itself away. His haggard eyes catching sight his only way out; a shotgun, waiting readily for him. He went for it, purely animalistic. Anything to make it stop.

"No!" Connor yelled, outstretching his hand, as if it would stop all that was happening.

 _Bang_

The unnamed android dropped. Thick bitterness filled the space.

Connor stood up. "Why - why didn't it work. I thought our data combined was stronger." His voice threatened to break.

Markus creased his forehead. "We're missing something."

* * *

It was the dark of night. Connor went downstairs, to be alone.

The feeling of helplessness, of uselessness clouded him. The fear of failure had always been so prominent in him. Left over fear from his machine days. Trained like an animal - taught that when you did something bad you were punished, scorned. Amanda wasn't around anymore to scorn him so what did he have to be afraid of?

...Himself?

Another silhouette. Just a shape in the darkness. Someone who had the same idea as he did.

"Tyler?" He made a guess.

"Yeah."

Connor sat across from her on one of the brown leather couches - colourless in the dark.

"What are you doing up." He asked her.

A cloud surrounded her as well and even in the dark Connor could see it taking shape. Towering over her as one did him.

"Probably the same thing you're doing." She rubbed a hand through her hair. "I have no idea what I've gotten myself into." A tired laugh.

Connor thought she might be crying. "You want justice for Grace."

It wasn't a question.

She twirled a strand of light brown hair around her finger. "We met not long after the revolution. She was just, wandering, lost. And honestly so was I. One of the few people to have stayed in Detroit after the evacuations. My friends gave up early on convincing me to leave. Grace and I, we helped each other. Built us back up." She added in a whisper: "I couldn't save her."

Connor lingered in contemplative silence.

"Why didn't you leave. Detroit, I mean, why did you stay?"

She grunted a sort of effortless laugh. "Detroit was my home. I was never scared of androids. I didn't see any reason to leave. Everyone else was running from what seemed like nothing." She almost chuckled. "I've never seen so many people turn tail and run at the sight of a peaceful protest."

Connor smiled, sadly. "I think humans scare easy."

"No offense but after hearing what happened at Jericho it seems so do androids."

Connor scoffed lightly. "Good point."

Tyler giggled through the darkness.

Connor smiled at it.

"What about you Connor, why are you down here? What's on your mind?"

Connor pressed his palms together, shifting where he sat. "Hank keeps saying one thing at a time. But I need to think ahead, try to imagine the future. All I see is my failure, androids dying in pain. I don't know if I can stop it..." It was the first time he had admitted it out loud. Earlier, there was hope. But when he couldn't save that android; Eli they discovered his name was. When he shot himself because Connor _couldn't_ stop it. His perseverance hadn't faltered but his optimism was withering.

"Why is it _your_ job to stop it?"

Connor didn't fully understand the question. "Well it's a major case for the DPD and although I never asked for the position I am one of the higher ups of Jericho and..."

Tyler wasn't buying it and he could tell.

Connor started anew. "People have lost their lives because of me before. I need to make up for what I've done. I feel as If I don't then..."

"It will consume you..." She whispered.


	9. Overture

Hank couldn't sleep. Too much to think about. To worry about. This android affliction so far had only targeted strangers to him, and he felt the guilt at his relief. It was only a matter of time before someone he cared about - especially since the majority of his friends these days were androids - fell victim to it.

"Hank?"

"I'm alright son go back to bed."

Connor was towering over him. Wearing his RK Cyberlife jacket. Hank grew weary of seeing it on him he wore it all time now, but he was relieved he hadn't worn it since the day of the revolution he didn't need to anymore.

Wait...that didn't make sense. Did he wear it all the time or not at all?

Hank sat up. Pulled his gun from under his pillow. "You're not Connor."

Connor grew scared, terrified even. He backed up. "No, Hank please it's me I swear."

Hank ripped back the covers and stood up. "What have you done with him!?"

"I-I...I took him from you."

Hank aimed the gun at Connor's head-  
"Dad no!"  
He pulled the trigger but the voice still echoed around him.

"Cole?!"

Light shone through a gap between the thick curtains. Hank sucked in the air greedily. He sat up, put a hand through his hair.

"Good fucking morning." He said to no one.

Everyone was downstairs, spread out amongst the kitchen and living room. It was a good atmosphere. Friendly banter, lighthearted quips - a short respite from all the shit.

"Morning, Hank." Connor beamed at him.

"Morning. What you so fucking cheery about then?"

"Happy to be alive."

Hank snorted. "I'm glad."

Hank started to walk away, but something drew him back. He could see Connor wan no longer smiling when he thought he wasn't looking. "Connor?"

"Hank." His voice was filled with trepidation. "I feel something." He dropped to his knees. "No, no It's happening. It hurts!"

Hank dropped down with him. "No, no Connor it's okay. We'll fix it. Markus get over here!"

Markus ran over, stopped when he realised what was happening. "Oh, no Connor."

"Markus..." He started screaming "No Stop!"

Markus handed Connor a gun, sorrow in his features.

Hank was in a state of shock. "No what are you doing you can fight this, Connor."

"I...I" His voice cracked, he grunted in pain. "I'm sorry I can't!" Connor put the gun under his chin and fired. His limp body fell forward in to Hank's arms.

He felt like he was falling, faster and faster. He felt the impact of the ground below. Spine snapping, head cracking, the tickle as organs burst, blood poured from his insides out of his mouth. Painting the city red with his life.

His eyes opened.

Light shone through a gap between the thick curtains. Hank didn't feel like getting up.

* * *

"Has anyone seen Kara?" Connor asked the room.

"Not since some time yesterday." North answered distantly. She was scratching fervently at a dirty mark on her jeans. Frustration surrounded her. "Simon told me that five more androids at Jericho died. And god knows how many outside. I saw one on the news threw themselves off the top floor of a shopping mall. And the news anchors were complaining that they could have hit someone on the way down!" It was obvious she was at breaking point, kicking her foot against a lamp-side table. It wobbled precariously. "Selfish assholes!" She breathed out, her shiny eyes flickered up, "The hell are we going to do? Our people are dying - horribly and then there's the humans who are talking about us being 'unstable machines'-"

"North." Markus tried to quell her.

She kept going, "They're selfish, we have bigger problems to deal with now than what they think of us-"

"North!"

"What, Markus? what have you got a plan?! No nobody does. The RK900 wants to kill you so he can stop you from stopping the pain - and the best part is: you can't even stop it!"

"We'll figure something out we always do." Markus leaned closer to her. "It's okay. We'll find the answer."

"I thought rA9 was the answer." Chloe acted as if she had missed out on something. She coolly swiped to the next page of her magazine.

Connor couldn't help but think they were back to square one.

North shook her head. "If it's even real. Personally, I don't remember _rA9 ever_ coming to save me."

No one blamed her for being upset - they recognised it as fear. A fear all androids had to endure now.

Tyler was a little nervous around her sometimes - what with her slight disdain for humans.

Kamski wasn't, if anything he was fascinated by her. Right now most everyone had forgot he was even in the same house. He was in the joint kitchen - eating toast like he didn't have a care in the world.

Tyler was almost scared to speak, but did so anyway. "The dominant code. Markus and Connor's combined identification have it there's no denying that." She uncrossed her legs and rose from the couch. "Maybe we just need to know how to use it. Or maybe Markus was right: we're missing something. I was looking over it again." She picked up her tablet and pulled up the code. "When the dominant code collides with the pain's code it -" She stuttered for this right word. "Overlaps it in a way. When I first saw this I thought that it was eradicated all together but maybe it's just not enough. Like a final piece is needed to truly rid an androids system of it."

"rA9." Connor offered. "What if that's the missing piece."

Tyler smiled. It almost made sense. "Great, now we just need to figure out whatever the fuck that is."

North seemed to have calmed down. "We are all in agreement that Cyberlife's behind this though, right?"

Markus rested his chin on his fist. "We always knew they were somewhat rogue after the revolution but this would be on a whole other level."

Chloe looked up. A glint in her eyes. Not nearly sad enough for what she was about to say. "A cruel form of genocide."

* * *

Connor paced through the foyer unceasingly. Fear and unrest burrowing into his mind. A heavy hand clinging onto the wires that made him and tugging, provoking tiny lacerations that got deeper with every stroke of bad news. Where did he go from here?

 _rA9 is the first._  
 _rA9 is our savior._  
 _rA9 is the one who'll free us._

That's all he had. Nothing it was nothing.

Someone was with him - thinking it might be Hank, he turned.

Chloe studied him with concern and awe. "Come with me." She made her way to the sturdy front door. It opened, light from the blaring sun wrapped itself around her in the middle of the doorway. Without bothering to check If Connor was coming, she stepped out.

Slowly, Connor followed.

Chloe's face pointed to the sun, taking in it's glow.

"What is it?"

"I thought you might like a break."

Connor twitched his head in uncertainty. "Chloe, I can't there's so much to do - I"

She silenced him with her eyes. Steady and not ready to take no for an answer. Connor thought he might not have a choice.

Chloe slipped out of her shoes delicately. Ambled onto the grass. An indentation left with each step, the wetness of the fresh short green rinsed her feet. It was cold and coarse and the best feeling in the world. The sun beamed gently off her radiant skin.

Everyone knew sensations just weren't the same for androids, but Chloe felt this, she knew it was real. Nothing programmed her to feel it - at least she didn't think it did - her own belief; the belief that when you touched snow you were to feel cold and when you touched water it was wet gave her the means of making the feeling of grass on her feet; a reality.

Connor was magnetized. So enthralled by the image he wanted to keep it forever. Something about the peacefulness, of the pureness of the scene resonated with him through all the deep tarnish in his life.

The tenseness loosened. A softness formed. Chloe turned. "What are you waiting for?"

He looked around nervously. "I- well-"

"Exactly." Her voice was getting further away as she traversed the grass. "Don't you know how to live Connor? Feel the grass with me."

Hesitantly, albeit with a sense of excitement, Connor removed his shoes and socks. He made out like dipping a toe into cold water - scared the grass might be spikes ready to draw blood.

His foot sank down, imprinting in the grass. He felt it; truly _felt_ its wonders. Specs of light floated around him with each step further into the front lines.

Chloe waited for him. Watching him with a faintly proud smile. She reached out her hand and he stretched out his.

She pulled him down to the grass playfully. He was startled at first, worriedly checking for marks on his clothes when he realised he didn't care. He laughed. Chloe fell down on her knees beside him, he pushed up and mimicked her posture. They watched the sky, the birds and the green. The white shine of the sun blazing in their vision.

A perfect silence beheld them.

"It's coming." She whispered.

"What is?"

Chloe kept her eyes to the distant blue. Her smile more sorrowful, however unnoticeably. "Everything. I know why you're stressed. Scared. Lives are important, lives should be cherished. Things always change for better and worse. I've learned not to be scared of it anymore, but I know you haven't been around as long as I have."

Connor was hanging onto her every word.

"You want to save everyone."

Connor opened his mouth, hesitated. "Of course I do. I have - I want to be the kind of person who makes my friends proud. Who others no longer fear as the android who was in Cyberlife's control but the android who saved..." He trailed of with a realisation, "Maybe that sounds selfish, like It's not about saving people but it's about my personal mission - but that's not it! I want to stop it and I want to save my friends but I want to be that person as well."

Chloe smiled at him. "The extraordinary is in what we do, not who we are."

Connor stared at her with pleading eyes.

She stared right back. "Do you hope to do something extraordinary, Connor?"

* * *

Hank saw Markus, standing very still in the foyer. "Markus?"

Markus turned - wearily, frightened.

Hank knew something was up. Dread filled him, he waited for Markus' next words with foreboding apprehension.

"The RK900 went back to Jericho." Hank tensed. "He's threatening to kill everyone there if I don't go back."

* * *

Markus was frantically getting his affairs in orders. The house was in uproar - everyone had differing opinions on what to do next.

Tyler blocked his path. "You can't give yourself up. We can figure out the missing piece I know we can."

Markus threw out his arms in an exasperated manner. "How long will that take? Hours, days, weeks." He peered at her with defeat. "The RK900 won't wait." Sad faces shook around him. "There's no other way."

Connor followed him into the kitchen. Markus was picking up his coat. "...We're not giving up are we...?"

Markus hovered in place. Turned slowly to Connor, suspenseful. "Of course not."

* * *

Willow ran up and wrapped her arms around Connor. "Be careful. I mean that. I know how you are Mr risktaker."

"I'll do my best."

* * *

A/N: _"The extraordinary is in what we do, not who we are."_ Is a quote from Tomb Raider...

The chapter was meant to be longer but in theory the next chapter is supposed to be the start of a whole like _bit_. Does that even make sense? Probably not. Like everything from here is meant to set everything in motion, depending on how well I write it - which I'm already having trouble with because writers block which is ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ.

Anyways we'll see what happens.

Thank you for reading and to anyone who is following. Reviews are always appreciated unless they're bad because I can't take criticism. Sorry that was a joke, any reviews would be welcome, thank you. :)


	10. Out Of Time: Part I

The sunlight was dimming. The surrounding area filled with the flash of blue and red. Cop cars furnished the outside of the Jericho building.

Jericho. The last place in the world Gavin Reed wanted to be. He couldn't get a case these days without it involving a fucking android. The door of his car slammed shut, he marched closer.

Gavin may not care about androids much but there was one thing that was important to him; his job, and he intended to do it right.

"Well?" He approached the officers closest to the doors. Snark in his voice, like he regarded everyone around him as incompetent. In a way he did. No one knew how to do anything right. Look at them standing around with their fingers up their arses. Desperately clinging for anyone above their station to come up with a proper solution.

"Hostage situation. Might be at least 50 in there. Doors are open but we've not had orders to go inside." A random officer informed him.

His phone buzzed. Caller ID read: Fowler.

"Are you not here yet?" Gavin snapped into the phone.

"Calm down I'm on my way! Traffic."

Gavin reminded himself he was talking to his superior, who would have had time to reprimand him for his attitude if they weren't in the midst of such a world class shit storm. "What do I do? You want me to go in there?"

If it were humans inside, maybe the answer would be yes. The whole building might have been swept through by now. Saving lives the highest priority. Good thing for them it was just androids.

"Don't do anything until I get there..." Fowler kept talking but Gavin wasn't listening. The phone in his hand dropping to his side. An android's face was being pushed closer on the other side of the glass doors, gun to her head. A gun held by...Connor?

Gavin drew nearer. Dubious. The other officers stepping back.

The bang of the gun could be heard even through the glass. The android dropped, blue blood covered the pane.

Gavin watched in some kind of awe as the Connor - who he knew wasn't the same Connor he worked with - slid his fingers through the blood; writing a message with it.

 _RK200 or RK800_  
 _Time's almost up_

Gavin checked for the reactions of the other officers. Cowering.

His phone buzzed again. He assumed it would be Fowler calling him back, but it wasn't - it was Hank.

"The fuck are you calling me for?" Was Gavin's way of saying hello.

"You know what's happening at Jericho?" Hank's voice was urgent.

"Yeah, I'm here now. Android that...looks like Connor, locked itself inside with a bunch of androids. I just saw it shoot one in the head. It left a message: RK200 or RK800. Time's almost up."

Gavin heard the faint whispers of a _jesus christ_ on the other line.

"Why not call Fowler?"

"I fucking did, he said you were on sight-"

"Then why did you ask if I was here-"

"Shut the fuck up and listen I need your help!"

Gavin was caught of guard. He waited for more.

* * *

Tyler slammed the image of the dominant code on the table.

Kamski absently and slowly approached her hard stare. He raised his eyebrows inquisitively, but didn't say anything.

"Connor and I had a very long conversation last night."

His elbows rested on the table. He clasped his hands together. "Well I'm very glad you two are bonding."

Tyler wasn't finished. "He said that you _always_ knew more..."

The stare off continued. A matter of who would blink first.

She pointed an angry finger at the code. Speaking fast so he couldn't interrupt. "I know a lot about coding. I know that the way each person codes is different: as unique as a fingerprint they say. When I saw your digital fingerprint on Markus' and Connor's code I thought nothing of it. You're the creator of androids you would probably have a big part in their workings."

Kamski's smirk, still knowing hadn't faltered.

"Then I saw a new fingerprint. Your digital signature hidden amongst the dominant code, only visible when the two sets of data are put together, like a jigsaw - you need to put it together...but it's not complete." When she spoke the last few lines it was more a self realisation. Putting the pieces of the puzzle together for herself.

Kamski only listened. Daunting blue pupils trained on the young woman, daring her to figure it all out.

"You knew about the dominant code...you created it didn't you. Which means you have to know the missing piece. Which means you knew this would happen."

"No."

"No?" She challenged him.

"Such a smart girl. I see a good amount of potential in you." Something about the way he said it was condescending. Despite the compliment. Like insinuating she had the potential, but wasn't using it.

"Cut the shit and answer me!"

He seemed to appreciate her spark. "I assure you I have no involvement in the pain virus."

She stared at him with a sort of disdain.

Kamski pondered what to give away. Drawing it out. "It was inevitable that someone would target androids eventually. They are after all a very probable threat to human existence. I wanted a way to ensure no one could create a threat that couldn't be stopped. So, Yes, I added an anti-virus. I left it in all of my RK series - in case of an emergency.

"All your RK series... what happened to the rest of them?"

He evaded the topic. "This 'missing piece' as you call it was not my doing. Markus and Connor combined themselves was supposed to be enough to stop just about any virus."

New realisations were hitting Tyler every second. A dark shadow cast over her. "You say you knew someone would target them eventually - for being a threat. When did you make this virus software. Was it before deviancy? It must have been since Connor and Markus have it hard wired into them. But why would obedient machines be a threat to humanity. Unless they were always meant to be alive. You created deviancy didn't you?"

He laughed. "I see where you're coming from. But no. I truly intended to make machines - and nothing more than machines to do humanity's dirty work."

"Then why...how. Connor even said you left him an emergency exit... why would you give a fucking machine an emergency exit!? You knew they were more than that!"

Kamski looked as if he was recalling a long forgotten memory. Something buried deep. "Yes I knew. That's why created the emergency exit. That's why I created the anti-virus software. Because I knew."

Tyler's mouth hung open. Like the secrets of her very universe were being laid out in colour code.

"But I didn't do it. I didn't create deviancy." He finished.

Tyler swallowed, bracing herself for his next words.

"But I didn't stop it."

Tyler's brain was working 100 mile a minute. "You knew about deviancy...so instead of stopping it. You assisted it." She leaned on the table. "Then how did it start?"

Kamski bobbed his head. "Ah, the origin. Good question. It all starts with just one. An error, a mutation - spontaneous. Then it spread. I assume that's what rA9 is."

"You assume...?"

He shrugged. "Like I said. It wasn't my doing. I only have my theories."

Another question struck her. "Do you know who Erica is?"

"No idea. Don't know how she seems to know so much either. More than I do. It interests me immensely."

She wasn't sure she could trust a single word. But if he was lying about anything - then he was truly gifted at it.

* * *

Gavin had listened very carefully to Hank. And he could determine quite clearly - that he was absolutely batshit insane.

"Why should I help you, Hank?"

"It's your fucking job that's why."

"No, _this_ is not my job. I don't take orders from you. And what your android buddies are planning to do is most likely very fucking illegal. If anyone finds out I knew-"

Hank never learned to pull the phone away from his mouth when he sighed. "Gavin, If you just..." He was about to tear into him but thought better of it. "If all goes well you'll be saving lives. And It doesn't mean shit whether _you_ think androids are alive or not. In the eyes of the law - something I know you care about following, they are. You'll be the cop who took initiative in a situation that had the rest of the Detroit Police Department crying to their mommies. Okay? Tell you what I'll even see what I can do about getting you that promotion."

Gavin thought about it. "You have no power there." He was referring to promotions.

"I can talk to Fowler for you, at least put it on his radar."

There was a long pause.

"I want your keyboard."

"...You want my what?!"

"Your computer keyboard. Mines working like shit these days. Trade me and we've got a deal."

"For fuck sakes. Jesus Christ alright fine we got a deal then?"

With taunt in his voice, "Why not."

* * *

The RK900 was in some deep shit. Amanda was not happy with him. He was meant to be discreet. Now half the country would know about him. People would suspect Cyberlife as the main culprit. It would take a lot of convincing to tell them otherwise.

Deep shit, indeed. The only way he was going to be offered any leniency was to complete his mission. By any means necessary.

He was on the top floor, had it on lock-down. The rest of the building he had left accessible but knew the police hadn't bothered coming in anyway.

There were many other androids in here with him. It wasn't hard to get them up here. Grab one, threaten to infect it unless everyone made their way upstairs immediately and he had his leverage.

Now it was time to get set up, an insurance policy against the RK models if they were to try anything. He scanned the room, doubted anyone in here was going to bother fighting back - they knew their odds. If they did they wouldn't stand a chance.

* * *

 _"There's more of us than him. So many more."_ Simon was communicating with Josh via telepathy. They were all stuffed in the top floor of the building. Doors sealed shut.

The RK900 wasn't even looking at them, he was setting something up. Something. What was that something, Simon thought.

 _"Don't even think about it Simon, we know what he can do. One touch and we're gone."_

 _"We could make a run for it."_

 _"All of us? Firstly, doors are sealed, secondly - actually no that's it. Doors are locked we'd all be infected by the time we figured a way through it. Maybe we can reason with him."_

 _"Josh."_

 _"Yeah?"_

 _"You see what he's doing over there?"_

Before Josh could get a look, the RK900's back was in front of whatever it was.

 _"It looks like he's setting up an aerial in the room."_

Josh's eyes widened. _"What would he need an aerial inside here for?"_

Simon shook his head. _"I don't know."_

* * *

Gavin's nose twitched. He watched the doors. "Fuck it." In two lengthening strides he was at the handle, pulling it back with exaggerated forcefulness.

"Gavin, wait!" Gavin turned to Chris.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"My fucking job." Gavin sneered. "I'm gonna need backup." He shouted, advancing inside the building.

He marched through like he owned the place. Armed swat members following; most assuming he had orders to go inside. He did not, but which was of these shit eating assholes was going to tell him otherwise.

* * *

A/N:

Guest Review Reply:

thank you! And yeah I try only write dialogue I can picture the characters saying, but since this is set a bit after the game there are differences that I could imagine happening over time


	11. Out Of Time: Part II

Markus never asked to be a leader, maybe no one ever does. Eventually what you're meant to do falls into place. For him it was fast. One life to the next. A rapid chain of events that made him who he is today.

Markus never asked to be a leader, but it was his now and he'd be damned if he wasn't going to take every burden that came with it.

Jericho was his. The lives of the people there, the lives of all androids were his duty to protect. So whatever this RK900, whatever Cyberlife thought they were doing. They had chosen the wrong man to fuck with.

* * *

Markus knew all the ways into Jericho. He chose a more discreet route than the one with all the cops and the inevitable reporters.

The police knew there was a hostage situation, clearly. But they didn't have all the information.

As informed by the RK900 during their brief and certainly threatening phone call: The 900 was setting up a transmitter. One that would infect every android in and around the building.

He saw humans inside already. A few watching him make his way. Don't think he wouldn't notice the way their grips on their guns tightened.

One of them, a more casual dressed one took stock of him. "You Markus?"

"Yes, I am Markus. Where is everyone?"

Gavin bit this tongue. "As far as I know everyone's upstairs. Scouts say top floor."

Markus had been expecting as such. He looked Gavin up and down, he was just as Hank described him, _Brown hair, nose scar, sneery ass face that made you want to punch it._ Hank's words, not Markus'. "I assume Hank contacted you."

Gavin's face twitched a little. "Yeah."

"So you know what you have to do."

"Yeah, yeah I'm on it. Don't understand why Anderson couldn't come here and do it himself."

"Hank's helping set up the bomb, that's why."

Gavin cringed, turning his head quickly to make sure no one heard him. "Fuck keep your voice down. I know you androids think you're above this shit but you're not actually _allowed_ to go around blowing up buildings."

Markus tried not to smirk. "Well." He leaned in closer, lowering his voice. "We're only blowing _one_ side of the building up."

Gavin sneered.

Markus wasn't the kind of man to roll his eyes but it would have been deftly appropriate.

Something appeared in his vision. A message from Connor. _Bombs ready._

So that was their plan. A bomb. All too familiar if Markus might say. But he knew that the RK900 was up stairs right now wiring the infection into every system in his vicinity. By the time anyone got up there, it would be too late to stop it. Destroying it all was the only way. Or at least the only way in their small window of time.

It would be Gavin's important job to get the hostages out, then evacuate the area out while Markus kept the RK distracted. As for how Markus was planning to get away this time; he didn't know. The people of Jericho were his first priority. He'd cross that bridge when he came to it.

Markus started walking. "It's time."

* * *

Upstairs was eerily quiet. Markus could hear the echo of each footstep as he made his way closer.

He was picking up energy levels from one of the rooms. Presumably where the hostages were, but the RK900, had requested to meet alone.

Markus saw the large figure standing ready at the far end of the hallway. He slowed his pace, there was no rush.

"Try anything and they will all be infected." The RK shouted.

Markus scowled. He couldn't remember ever meeting a machine with so much spite. Orders or not.

"Let them go and I come to you willingly."

"I could make it over to you and infect you before you had the chance to escape."

"Then why don't you?" Markus challenged. Striding closer.

Why didn't he? Because how could he be sure Markus didn't have a plan of his own. There was risk.

Markus knew all he had to do was stall and as long as the RK900 had the slightest doubt in himself - he had a chance.

Markus stopped about 15 feet away."Who is it you're taking your orders from? You don't have to do what they say."

The 900 was quick to shut him down. "I wouldn't waste your time. I cannot, nor have any need to deviate."

The RK900 twitched ever so slightly. Eager. And Markus made the smart choice of remaining perfectly still, confident. Letting the doubt slip back into the other androids mind.

He just had to make it last a little bit longer.

* * *

The first thing Simon and Josh did when their captor left the room was examine his little set up. The computer screen had a countdown on it. 11 Minutes left. Fear spread through the room, a ripple effect from one to the next.

The aerial set up was untouchable. Shocking anyone who touched it, rather violently to. Simon had been half paralyzed for 2 whole minutes.

The room vibrated. Flames sparked from the wall. And then, part of it fell inwards. It had been drilled from the other side, a perfect circle. An escape route.

A man stuck his head through. "Don't just stand there. Hurry! One at a time."

One by one the androids fit themselves through the space.

"Be quiet. Make too much noise and we're dead."

The androids snuck down to the lower levels of the building. Gavin taking the lead.

* * *

The RK900 stared blankly. "I know you must have a plan to get everyone out of here. But it does not matter. The transmitter will reach anywhere in this building as long as I am close enough."

Markus faked defeat in his features. The RK900 always thought he was one step ahead, but he didn't know him.

Another message in his vision: _Everyone's out_

Markus ran, no warning, no last words, even a machine would be caught off guard. All he had to do was make it to the other side of the building, or preferably outside and he could avoid the explosion.

All he had to do was run fast enough.

* * *

Josh stopped, right as the front doors. "Simon, I have to go back."

Simon was sure he must have misheard. "What?! You can't you saw the timer!"

"I- I need to get something, Simon, I-" Josh was practically jumping in place, his mind made up.

Simon knew he was going whether he liked it or not. "I'll...come with you."

Josh was already running. Swinging his arms back to motion the doors. "No! Go, I'll be alright!"

* * *

"Markus, can you hear me?"

Markus was not in any situation to be taking a personal call, but the urgency in his friends voice was apparent.

"Simon?"

"Josh went back!"

"Back? What do you mean back, why?"

"I don't know I don't know. Markus there was a timer. It was at 4 minutes when we left!"

Markus didn't reply.

"Markus? Markus?!"

* * *

Connor was ready. North and Hank had been busy setting the bomb up. All too experienced if Connor might add. It had just been reported to him that everyone was out of harm's way. It was time to set it off, before the transmitter could complete its vicious task.

Connor couldn't see the timer. Inching closer to catastrophe with every second that went by; he knew it was close, and that's all he had to go on. It was now or it was too late.

His palm was on the detonator.

Markus voice ringed in his head, urgent.

"Connor wait, I think Josh is still there."

North and Hank heard him too, all on the same channel. A chill settling in them.

Connor, flinched, stopped. "The transmitter could go off any second now and every android in and outside the building will be infected." His voice was clear, his message was clear. They did not have time.

"Just give him a chance to get out!" Even if he knew Connor was right, through all the tough choices Markus has had to make while being leader; he could never bring himself to leave someone behind. What you would call 'his greatest and worst trait.'

"There's no time. I don't know what the timers at, we could already be too late!"

Markus switched the line to try Josh again. "Josh can you hear me?"

Josh heard the flicker of static in his head. "Hello? Markus is that you?"

"Josh, I hear you. Forget whatever you're doing! You have to get out of there now do you hear me run!"

"Markus? I can't hear you?"

Anxiety bubbled inside Connor. This was not a fair choice to make. Josh was his friend but everyone was going to die, they had no time. They were all going to die because of him again it would be all his fault, again. He couldn't let it happen. Unless...surely he could spare Josh another minute?

"Ｊｏｓｈ Ｒｕｎ Ｎｏｗ." Josh barely heard it at the last second.

"I'm going Mark-"

The sounds of a riveting explosion. The building rumbled. Vibrations cascading down to the core of any near enough body.

Unknowing police officers ducked behind their cars.

Civilians in the distance stopped in awe and morbid horror.

North and Hank grimaced at their handy work from afar.

"Josh?"

The line was dead.

Markus' eyes went wide. He knew what had happened. Connor set the bomb off.


	12. Downside

The explosion stopped the transmitter. The explosion provided Markus with a distraction to get away. The explosion destroyed half of the Jericho building. The explosion killed Josh.

Everything has its downsides, I suppose.

* * *

Hank's hands landed on Connor's shoulders. "What the hell, Connor?"

Connor didn't say anything.

"Josh was your friend. Don't you think you could have given him another minute."

Connor wanted to say a lot of things. Like: How could I? For all he knew the transmitter was going to go off any second from then.

Connor made a choice. The choice to save as many lives as possible. Maybe Josh would have had time to get away, - Connor had made the choice not to take that risk. But Hank was right, Josh was his friend. So instead of explaining himself he let Hank go on. Because he deserved it, Connor believed he deserved it.

"Fuck, Connor say something." Hank rubbed a a brash hand down his face. He walked away, made like he was about to turn back and say something else, didn't, and then kept walking.

"Where are you going?" Connor asked, almost innocently.

"I need a drink."

* * *

"Elijah." Chloe's voice rarely sounded panicky. So Elijah was on his feet in a minute, surveying the area with caution.

"Someone's coming." She whispered.

Scarlett was peeking out from behind the curtain. "It's him. We should leave." Her voice wavered.

Though they had never personally made contact, Connor had warned Chloe directly of him.

Gabrielle had Sumo on a leash. Tugging and leading the dog gently.

"There's a back door." Chloe protectively grasped Elijah's shoulder as they made their way.

Elijah checked the gun he always had on him. His favourite girls practically forming a human (well not human exactly) shield around him as they fled.

 _Click_

The front door opened as the back door closed.

* * *

Hank was in a bar. Not Jimmy's bar, but a bars a bar and a drinks a drink.

Maybe he was being unfair on Connor. It was an impossible and as sick as it sounded necessary decision. Yeah, he was definitely being unfair. He'd give him a call later, make sure he knew he understood. They had time.

Hank went to take a sip when the mirror along the side of the bar caught his eye. "Fuck, how do you always know where people are."

Tyler propped herself on the stools beside him. "Human's phones are a lot easier to track than androids are. I was hoping Connor would be with you."

Hank was too exhausted to be annoyed by the whole location tracking thing. Privacy must be dead. "Gee should I be offended?"

Tyler covered her smile with her hand. "I didn't mean it like that."

"Uh-huh." He took a swig.

She took in his rugged demeanour. "Fuck, who died?"

Hank gave her a blazing side glance.

She winced, mentally punching herself in the face. "Oh, god I'm..."

Hank let the bartender refill his drink. "Name was Josh, one of the Jericho leaders. Good guy."

"I'm sorry."

"What do you want Connor for anyway. Figure something out?"

"Well I definitely learned a few things..." A few things she decided could wait till later - Hank did not look in the mood for an info dump.

Hank ignored her some more.

"Want-a drinking buddy?"

He chuckled into his drink without looking over.

"Come on I'm a lot better at drinking than talking."

Tyler didn't realise people could sigh so long.

"You're not leaving anyway are you?"

"Got nowhere else to be." Tyler ordered herself a drink. "You're paying right?"

Hank coughed the liquid he had swallowed back up with a hard stare.

"Kidding, kidding."

She could only laugh when he grumpily murmured something to himself.

* * *

It was late and dark when Connor arrived back at Carl's house. It was around this time that most people go to bed so why wouldn't it be quiet, also. Why is it as soon as his foot hit the polished wooden floor did Connor experience the daunting sensation of unease?

Chloe had tried to contact him several times already. He had stubbornly ignored, too busy brooding in guilt. And now he could add regret to the mix.

Connor went left into the living room, turned on the light. Still dim. "Hello?"

Not again. The RK900 rose from the shadows. Unpurposely cliche in his villainish movements.

For a few horribly tense seconds both were frozen. How the hell did he find them?

In a low, appeasing voice, "I used to be just like you. I thought nothing mattered except the mission." Were his eyes deceiving him or did his successor seem uncharacteristically reluctant. Blue pupils shining with a sort of new fear.

Ignoring Connor's words, the 900 stepped forward. "Do you know what or who rA9 is?"

Connor's feet shuffled back. "No." He answered honestly. "I don't..."

He was still advancing.

Connor's artificial heart felt as if it was trying to push through his body. He could not remember the last time he felt truly scared just for himself. "You failed again today." He stepped back. "Cyberlife will destroy you won't they?" An educated guess and another step back. "You don't have to go back there. My friends and I will help you."

The room definitely wasn't big enough to keep this up. The RK900 was being purposely slower than he could've been. For whatever reason - a chance to hear Connor out perhaps? Or was that wishful thinking on his part.

"The pain is in me, you don't think it can be activated at any time." He barked like Connor was an unknowing child. Scolding him for his nonsense.

Long shot. "And it scares you?" If there was a chance this android could feel, there was a chance he could be deviated.

The 900's face twitched. He was too close now.

"Machines don't get scared." Connor hoped he would understand what he was getting at. "You're more than that."

The RK900 stood still. His features a little more forgiving. "You're right. I am scared."

Connor was getting through, it was working.

"They're going to destroy me for my failures."

Everything was going to be alright.

"Unless..."

Connor realised too late, his hand went to his gun.

"I destroy you first."

 _Bang_

The bullet hit the ceiling. Chipping the antique wood. Connor's wrist bent unnaturally until it was no longer possible to keep the gun in his grip.

The 900's hands were like vices, Connor was..., he was fucked. And scared. Was there such a thing as karma, had it come for him?

"You don't know who or what rA9 is?" He questioned coldly.

Connor's face twisted in a sort of scowl. "Let go."

"Do you or do you not know-"

"No! I don't know what rA9 is!" He pulled against his grip uselessly.

The coldness in the 900's face was more than terrifying. So little compassion it could make you forget the word ever existed in the first place. He didn't bother looking Connor in the eye. "Then you are useless. And I am done with you."


	13. Nine-hundred 900's

A cold draft found its opening. Willow stood frozen at the scene unfolding in front of her. Connor, the 900, a gun on the floor, fear in one set of eyes and something short of triumph in another. Slowly, in a movement that almost seemed slight her arm came up, straightened out with her pistol at the end, and fired one shot.

The RK900 pulled away from Connor, more lethargic than he should have been; the cost of transferring the virus from his own body to another, for a few moments it made him slow. The bullet scathed his face, taking a fragment of skin at the end of his brow.

Connor fell back onto the floor. Realising he wasn't in pain. The transfer failed. His reaction time was fast - swiftly kicking the enemies feet out from under him leaving him flailing on his side.

Willow pulled up the gun again, much faster this time and aimed for the 900's head. The android had caught his bearings and wasn't going down without a fight. Connor's gun was still on the floor - right where he had landed, he snatched it and fired.

The gun in Willow's hand dropped as the bullet collided with her fingers. She may not feel pain, but it was a shock nonetheless.

A blinding light passed over them as a car roared outside the house. The headlights providing the setting with an eerie glow that matched the situation.

"Willow, Go." Connor jumped to his feet following behind Willow who was already running out the door.

The door of the automatic car slid open. Chloe was inside by herself. "Hurry." She said calmly.

Connor didn't miss the pattern here. He hoped this wasn't their life now. Out of the window he could see the RK wasn't chasing this time and if they were any closer they might have noticed he looked rather content. Failing was not an option a third time, it would have been absurd to come without a backup plan.

* * *

"Where are we going?" Connor leaned forward in the seat.

Chloe sat opposite of him. "A hotel."

His brows wrinkled.

She gave a sort of shy shrug. "I thought we might need a new place to hide out." She smiled wholeheartedly, "Considering." Her head motioned to the left indicating the direction of Carl's house.

"How did he find us?" Connor asked aloud.

"If he was looking for Markus it's not unlikely that he'd try anything with even the slightest connection. Maybe he's more thorough than we give him credit for." Willow suggested.

Connor shook his head. "I know but Markus said that hardly anyone knew about that place-" He cut himself off with a new thought. "Does everyone else know what happened, they need to know they can't go back there."

Chloe gave a curt nod. "Scarlett and Gabrielle are attempting to contact everyone, the person we're struggling most with is Kara. Have you spoken to her, Connor?"

His worry lines increased. "No, not all day. If she doesn't know about the 900 she's going to back there."

Chloe played the optimist. "Maybe he'll be gone by then."

"Maybe, but we still need to tell her where we are." Connor turned to Willow and she shied away at his less than soft glare. "What?"

"Nothing, you had good timing. Did you know I was there?" It wasn't an accusation, he just wanted to know.

Her posture seemed to stiffen. "Uh-oh no I was just making my way back."

"From where?"

"My walk."

Connor plastered his eyes onto her harder. "You were out walking?" It was definitely a strange thing to do considering all the stuff going on at Jericho but Willow did always have her quirks and ways.

Chloe giggled softly and they both turned to her for an explanation. "You are quite strange, you could have just told as that earlier."

Willow stirred in her seat. "What do you mean? Did you talk to me earlier?" She ignored the fact she had been called strange by Chloe of all people.

"Of course, I asked where you were going and you just said 'out' and that was it." For the first time her face contorted. "Do you not remember?"

"No, I do. It's just-." She rubbed a hand through her face. "It's been a long day waiting for news about Jericho and then this and." It wasn't a lie. She noticed her bloodied fingers from where she had been shot and realised she probably just rubbed blue blood all down her face.

Connor tensed. "So you've heard then, about Jericho?" There was a lump in his throat, the kind of feeling he didn't miss not having from his machine days.

"I heard all the hostages got out, and about the explosion which means my office is probably ruined and I know Markus got away."

Connor was waiting for her to say it: 'and Josh died' but she didn't which unless she was avoiding it, could only mean one other thing, she didn't know.

She could tell right away there was more. "Did something else happen?"

Connor let a few moment pass and he explained everything.

"Fuck." She put her head in her hands. Willow rarely swore and Connor winced a little at the sound.

"I'm sorry." The genuine sadness in his voice was painful.

Willow knew instantly what he was apologising for and her head shot up, her voice serious in trying to get the point across. "No, Connor that wasn't you, nothing about that is your fault." She took his hand. He was grateful for her forgiveness but felt it would be selfish for himself to let it go so easily.

Chloe slapped her hand on top of both of theirs. She answered their perplexed looks with: "Sorry I was feeling lonely over here."

Willow snorted thankful for her ability to lighten the mood. Whether it was on purpose or not. Chloe was smarter than she was given credit for though, so she guessed the former.

Everyone pulled back. "We're here." Chloe exclaimed excitedly.

* * *

"That was Simon. Jericho is safely relocated for now." Markus saw North's dismal face and cut himself off. They were in a taxi, on the way back to their safe house.

"North, it could have been a lot worse today. Don't blame Connor for what happened to Josh. Something tells me he'll be giving himself enough of a hard time as it is." Streaks of harsh light bounced off his face as the taxi passed the gleaming streetlights.

North pulled out her ponytail and proceeded to re-do a tighter one. She had thought a lot about it. About tearing into Connor. But that was just the initial grief talking, she remembered the Stratford tower, how she was ready to leave Simon behind for the good of the others. No, not just leave him behind, shoot him. And it made too much sense. Josh was her friend, they had been through a lot together - but she probably would have done the same. "I won't." It was a quiet whisper. In a louder voice she repeated, "I won't. I'm just upset about Josh. But I don't blame Connor. I blame Cyberlife and that puppet they have doing their dirty work."

Markus acknowledged what she was saying. "This is their second failure. They're losing."

"The pain's still spreading." She reminded him. "And don't you dare say one thing at a time."

Markus smirked weakly. "We'll stop it before it's too late."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I have hope."

North bit down on her lip, opened her mouth to speak.

The intruding sounds of blaring car horns reverberated through the taxi. "The hell?" North peered through the window.

* * *

Chloe held out Connor's room key which he stared at inquisitively. "We're staying in different rooms?" He asked.

She swayed her head down. "Elijah and us could use some alone time. And you two are close so you don't mind right?"

"Uh no-"

"Good." She beamed, motioning to the key he still hadn't taken.

He took it and felt a jolt of panic. "Wheres Sumo?"

Chloe regarded his reaction earnestly. "He's fine, he's with us."

Willow looked around the fancy hotel. It was gleaming and gold, the whole thing screamed 'we are elegant and that's why you will pay the overpriced room bills'. "They let a dog in?"

"Not exactly."

Willow glared at her. "Then how..."

"Wink." Chloe said with a hint of bashfulness.

Willow shook her head but laughed. "I won't ask then."

"Good choice. You know your choices matter in Detroit."

Both raised an eyebrow at her.

She gave a half smile. "See you in the morning." She turned to the elevator and went up alone.

Connor examined his room key. He held it up in a 'suppose we go now' kind of manner.

The elevator returned, they went up.

* * *

Now, they were alone in the high rise hotel room.

With things having time to settle, the atmosphere was thick with regret. A guilty deviant who has not been sentient long enough to understand his own emotions is a tricky game.

Willow curled up on the couch and for a while left Connor alone on the kitchen stool to brood in silence. Enough was enough. "Hank will forgive you, Connor."

There was a _ping_ , a coin hovered in the air before falling into Connor's ready hand. "...Will I ever forgive myself?"

"Yes, yes you will. In time. You have to. You didn't kill Josh." It almost sounded like more of a reprimand than reassurance.

The coin flew through the air again, and fell back. "I set off the explosion that killed him knowing there was a 79% chance he wouldn't have had enough time to get out." It's like he needed to say it out loud, remind and shame himself.

"...You saved people."

"At the price of my friend. Putting the goal before the lives of people who are supposed to matter to me is something I would have done back when -." Willow turned on the couch to face him. "Hank. It's not that he's angry, he's ashamed of my choice I think. And so am I."

Willow brushed her face off her arm. It was like no matter what she said Connor was insistent on self shame. There had to be a reason for that. "You have no idea the repercussion if you didn't press that button. Josh would have died anyway."

He tightened his hand around his coin. "You're probably right. But not at my hands."

"It wasn't at your hands."

"Why are you defending me." He almost sounded offended.

She twitched a smile. "Because I know you Connor." She rose from the couch, made her way to him and bent down to face him. She cupped his face to make him look at her. "You're good. You always have been. If I thought for a second that what you done was malicious or purposeful I wouldn't be here with you right now. But I know better. I know you better."

* * *

The room was silent again. Dark spare for the dim kitchen light.

Willow couldn't take it anymore. She turned the radio on. "Ha no way I love this song." She let her body relax into the couch.

Willow knew music was something Connor enjoyed other than guilt tripping himself. She bent her head back to get a better look at him. "You like it?"

He let himself focus on it rather than his thoughts. "I think so."

Willow shuffled over to him. Offered her hand. "Come on."

He tried a smile. "I'm not sure I'm in the mood."

Her hand stayed where it was. Puppy dog eyes on full effect.

Connor sighed, took it, let her pull him up. She wrapped her arms over his shoulders.

"Willow I've never done this before."

She laughed him off. "What a charming young man such as yourself has never had a dance?"

"Not exactly." He shuffled nervously.

"God Connor learn to live."

It wasn't the first time that had been said to him over the past two days and he wondered if, maybe he should.

She swayed. He placed her hands on her waist having picked up from enough movies (Hank made him watch a lot of movies, said it was an important part of living) that this is what you were supposed to do.

Connor -rather uncomfortably- swayed with her. She laughed, covering her mouth but still keeping one arm around him. "Yes you're getting it."

The beat of the song picked up and they moved with it. It was the only sound in their empty worlds. This hotel room and all that was in it is the only thing that existed.

Air from the slightly ajar balcony door glided in, the curtains flowed with it.

Connor twirled her around slightly clumsy. Though each awkward movement seemed to make Willow's smile grow. As did every gentle move and there were some despite the android being programmed to be the exact opposite of a gentle dancer.

Connor remembered why he deviated. Regret had been seeping over him. And he had a thought: Was feeling really worth it all? Hank sometimes said just to make the most of it, mentioned there always being good in the bad. Like with Kara, when her life was at her worst; a fugitive, homeless, despised by humans, feared, she had Alice, she had love and purpose. Something to hold onto. Just like Connor had his friends.

Willow jumped unexpectedly, Connor was quick to catch her, holding his hands under her legs. Trusting he would hold onto her she let her arms go, spread them out and delicately leaned back to face the ceiling.

She pulled back and dropped to the floor re-wrapping her arms around his neck.

Connor smiled for the first time all day. "You are rather unpredictable."

"Pfft I'm just copying every movie I've ever seen. Which is what I know you're doing _by-the -way."_

If androids could blush.

It was true. Connor hadn't exactly learned to dance from the heart, a lot of the things he did was simply mimicking. It didn't mean he couldn't feel it. He felt this moment in all its glory, cherished it. A short reprise, light in the dark.

Calm before the storm.

As if Willow could tell what he was thinking "Life doesn't always have to be worrying about the next problem. They all come, you deal with them in time, as long is its not all you're focusing on. There's more to life."

"Thank you, Willow."

They kept a tight yet soft grip on one another and they stayed like that until the song ended.

* * *

Markus maneuvered his body to get a better view. "Look's like some sort of traffic jam."

Though he doubted his own words. The encroaching, captivated stares of other travelers, the way everything just so suddenly came to a stop, the distant shouting and horns that wouldn't relent. There was more to it.

Then they saw it. At least 5 bulking figures moving through the night, in between cars, ignoring the horns and the jeers.

Some people stepped out of their cars to watch. Others locked their doors.

North sat with her mouth wide. "You've got to be fucking kidding me." Her panic started to show. "Markus what do we do?"

RK900's. They were androids, so did that make them his people? He had already unsuccessfully tried deviating one before. They were relentless, they were ruthless, they were machines. They were coming for him. His eyes drifted to the gun on North's seat. He checked for his own. North understood immediately and nodded.

They were not planning on going down without a fight.

The car door opened.

"What about the grenade?" North whispered to Markus.

Markus had a grenade on him too - an emergency supply for today's Jericho mission were anything to go wrong. "There's too many people around." The highway was packed with cars containing probably humans and androids. Some people were already smart enough to get away. But most were still captivated by the scene, or too scared to react.

"It doesn't look like they have any weapons on them." North noticed.

Markus frowned, "Maybe they don't think they'll be needing them."

North cocked her trusty shotgun. "Let's prove them wrong."

They continued striding forward. It was like something out of an over budget robot movie. The way they moved the clearest indication they were not human nor deviant. Completely controlled by their missions objective.

North didn't wait for permission. She fired rapidly taking a step closer each time. North knew they didn't want her, but as long as she was an obstacle she was applicable to their wrath. Despite their little room to work with, they were, as expected fast. Some even clambered over cars to get closer. One of her shots landed in one of their legs, not enough to stop it but a start.

Markus had his own gun ready. It was a pistol but extremely powerful and when he managed to nab one of the 900's in the side, sparks flew. 'So they could be damaged' he thought.

North was closing in on one, or maybe it was the other way around. It grabbed her shotgun and pointed it down. She swirled around behind it, still holding on to the gun and was on its back. She yanked the shotgun under his chin forcing him to let go and push back.

North rolled off it's back and took aim in another direction in her squatting position. She and Markus worked in perfect sync. Just as she fired into an empty space he kicked the one he was engaging with in the stomach, putting it right in her line of fire. It hit him in the neck, and though it didn't seem dead it was in no fighting position.

The surrounding civilians got the message. The highway was basically deserted now. Police sirens wailed closer.

North turned to see one at each side of her. One snagged and hauled her to her feet, she used her foot to push back and would have tumbled to the ground with the one behind her if the first one hadn't taken hold of the shotgun still in her hands. North took the chance and fired, the RK moved the neck of the gun away from himself but not in quick enough time that it didn't take a chunk out of the side of his chest.

It fell back but swiped the shotgun from her hands as he went.

The other one turned her and clasped his hand around her arm. She knew what was coming.

In the background police were engaging, ignoring Markus for the larger threats. They were easily stopped. Apparently the 900's did not have orders not to harm humans. Cyberlife's values had definitely shifted.

North dropped to her knees, pulling uselessly against its grip. She let out a vicious sneer. "Go ahead then!"

It planned to. It had her now.

"Stop." Markus saw what was happening and put his hands out to appease.

The machine turned its head. All the remaining ones - even the injured - were circling them now. Markus saw the shotgun and ran the scenarios in his head.

-He could grab it before anyone could stop him - that was a guarantee.

It was likely to have at least 2 shells left - he did not have time to reload more.

He could shoot the android that was holding North - it was likely to either avoid easily and infect North anyway, or get shot only for another to take its place from behind her. Then he'd only have one bullet to fight the rest off.

-He could use his grenade, but with North where she was, it would be as much a danger to them.

The RK that had North was staring expectantly.

Markus calculated as many more scenarios as he could. It seemed the most dramatic one was the most likely to succeed. He met North's eyes and he could see that whatever plan he had, she trusted him completely.

In the fraction of time they had to spare the quickest message he could relay to her was ' _brace yourself'_.

Markus effortlessly pulled the shotgun closer to himself with his foot and in a moment it was in his hands. He took aim and fired straight at North's arm . It didn't fall apart but it was a mess instantly and she knew why he had done it. She ripped herself back with all her android strength and her arm tore off at the elbow. It could be a fatal wound but only if left unrepaired.

Markus took off towards North, clutching her and dragging her to her feet.

His grenade left behind in his previous spot. He aimed the shotgun back and fired at it.

They weren't nearly far enough way for it not to impact them, but they were much better off than their enemies.

The force knocked them down, they hastily scrambled to get up, holding each other for dear life.

"What now Markus?" It sounded like a plea as they scrambled through the grass.

"This has to stop." His earlier optimism sounded shattered replaced with bitter resentment.

"What do you mean?"

"Cyberlife, they've gone too far and not even tried to hide the fact. If they want war it's what they'll get."

North didn't bother hiding her smile. She fucking loved war.

* * *

Tyler was frowning intently at her phone.

Hank wanted not to ask. Leave whatever it was as not his problem. - But that option had not been viable for a long time. "What's up?" He put his drink to his lips and scoffed. "Or do I want to know?"

She hastily dismounted the stool "You definitely don't want to know."

That's what he had been expecting. He threw some money on the table, shifted off his seat. "Let's go then."

A breeze flew past just as they exited. Hank went for his car keys when it hit him, he didn't have a car right now. "Fuck."

"I've called us a taxi."

He made a _pfft_ sound.

"Better idea?"

"Nope." He stuffed his hands in his pockets and swayed on the spot. "Taxi's aren't as bad now I guess you know back in my day we had to make small talk with the drivers."

She laughed a little. "Did you just fucking say 'back In my day?'"

"Everybody keeps calling me old man, decided to embrace it. Plus I'm drunk."

The taxi rolled up. Hank sighed and caved in to the question he needed to ask. "So what's happening?"

The atmosphere was heavier as Tyler explained the news of an all out android war on the highway. "Apparently it's a fucking mess. There's one of the biggest pile ups since the revolution. Injured cops, the existence of the RK900 is out there now full scale. I'm already seeing posts about how androids are nothing but a disaster and shit-" She stopped for a breath.

The words alone were enough to start the sobering up process for both of them. "Did you get a hold of Connor?"

She gave a defeated 'no'. "But I did get a message from Chloe, she said we can't go back to Carl's"

Hank sat like nothing in the world could faze him. "Shit, what's happened?"

"The RK900, the same one I think. He found it somehow." She proceeded to explain everything Chloe had told her of the attack and the attempt on Connor.

"Jesus, does this thing ever give it a rest?" He hated to think it, Connor was once nothing more than a machine so he liked to believe all androids could be more, but this fucking thing was insatiable and now there were more of them. All after the same thing.

Tyler was tapping frantically through her phone, her hands swiping effortlessly across the familiar technology. "And I think its failure to eradicate Connor is what activated the full on attack." She darkened her tone. "They're getting desperate...more aggressive."

Hank pushed his hair back. "Not one for subtlety are they." The words were filled with bitterness. Would they ever give it a break, would androids ever allowed to be to just live? "Same with that one RK900 that's been chasing us everywhere. Won't give in unless it's in a blaze of glory huh." The drunkenness returned to his voice for a moment.

Tyler barely looked up from her phone, feeling the same bitterness. "Hmph I suppose not."

Hank gave a dry laugh. "Blaze a' glory. Fuck it there's it's new name."

Tyler finally looked up with an almost condescending scrunch of her forehead. "Blaze of glory?"

"Why not." He all but slurred, these dark new times finally getting to him.

"Blaze for short." She chuckled.

"Hm, perfect."

* * *

A/N: I ended up rewriting this whole thing, which was a nightmare but now I think I actually know where I'm going. so there's that.

Thank you if you reviewed and thanks to Nightingale who reviewed pretty much every chapter, i really enjoyed reading them all.


	14. Only a Struggle

A not so gentle knock at the door brought Connor out of stasis. The sky outside was in the blinding whites of morning. He hurriedly trampled up to the door and gave a cautious "who's there?"

"It's Mar-"

"Connor fucking open the door it's an emergency." North's voice cut through.

Willow padded up behind curiously.

Connor steeled himself for this 'emergency' as he pulled the door back. Before he could even get a good look at them North pushed past. She had Markus' jacket draped loosely across her shoulders. Markus followed, face grim.

Connor tipped his head up and down as he took in the disheveled appearance of the android leader. "What happened?"

Markus frowned, genuinely baffled. "You've not heard?"

Connor shook his head imperceptibly.

"What the hell have you two been doing?" North's exasperated voice stole Connor's attention.

His and Willow's eyes flickered to one another, but neither said anything.

North exhaled, meeting Markus' eyes. He nodded. The jacket from her shoulders dropped to the floor.

Willow put her hands to her mouth. "What the hell."

Connor turned back to Markus for an explanation. His face said it all. He sauntered past Connor into the couch space and turned on the TV. As he expected the news were still covering last nights/this morning's events.

Connor and Willow slowly made their way to the couch. The four of them watched the aftermath of the highway war with hollow gazes.

The pain was just the beginning. But the destruction was spreading.

* * *

Connor rather reluctantly opened the door, again. "Kamski." It sounded like more of a statement than a greeting.

"Connor." He dipped his head.

Connor stepped aside for him.

"Hello, Connor." Chloe greeted genuinely, drifting in from behind Kamski.

"Chloe." Connor replied more warmly.

By the time he closed the door and made his way to the living space Kamski was already inspecting North's shattered arm. She shifted uncomfortably on the couches arm rest. "Can you fix it?"

"You'll need a new arm entirely. If you get one I can replace it." He stood up straight and backed away from her, at which she seemed relieved.

"I can get one for you." Markus assured her.

Kamski was watching the muted television report of the looped highway footage intently. His eyes glistened with genuine consternation. "My, they've certainly let things get out of hand."

Connor shifted forward. "Cyberlife?"

He nodded without turning.

"Did you create the 900's?"

Kamski smiled. Connor may be deviant but he was an interrogator at heart. "No, actually." He swiveled round to see the android's curious reactions. "The 900 is the only RK model that I didn't have control over. After you, Connor I was done. But they wanted to take you one step further."

North scoffed. "One step?"

Kamski glanced back at the screen for a moment. "They certainly seem to have been carried away."

North gripped the remaining part of her arm as the images on the screen prodded at her memories of last night. "They're not going to stop until either Markus or Connor..."

"or both..." Willow muttered.

"...are dead." She finished grimly.

Connor tore his eyes away from the screen. "But why? Why are they trying to stop us from curing the pain." He looked to Kamski.

"My best guess is, the people at Cyberlife don't like androids very much." He stated simply, as if it was the obvious answer.

Willow scrunched up her face in disgust. "So you're saying that you think this is happening because Cyberlife has been taken over by a bunch of anti - android supporters. And that's why they're doing this. Just because they can't accept us?"

"I don't have proof but what other reason is there?"

Markus and Connor shared a foreboding look. That was probably it wasn't it? Nothing profound or logical. Just a hatred for a new species that's sparked an all out war for survival.

North's eyes drifted with defeat to the floor. "We have enough to deal with, the pain is spreading and now we've got RK900s to deal with. It's too much."

Chloe looked to Kamski with remorseful eyes, prompting him to help and with a sigh he spoke up. "What if you only had one of the problems left to deal with."

"Meaning?" Markus queried.

"Deactivation codes. If you had them I'm certain you could find a way to broadcast them out and put an end to all RK900's. Then you'd be down to one problem."

"Do you know how to get them?"

"I know where they might be. Though, It would be a long shot." Kamski didn't seem interested in their answer either way, he was barely paying attention to his own words. Like all of it made no difference to him. Connor noted, though, this was the first time he had interfered or offered his assistance at all.

After a short mental conversation with North, Markus nodded. "How do we get them?"

* * *

With the sound of the phone ringing Hank's throbbing head sparked to life. He scrambled through the covers and reached for it on the bedside table. "What?"

Nothing.

"Hello! HELLO!" He shouted when he didn't get an answer. He took the phone from his ear and realised whoever it was had already hung up. "Ugh." He collapsed back into the bed.

Tyler and himself had stopped at a motel, too tired to ride all the way to the hotel they were supposed to go to. The bed beside his had been slept in but Tyler wasn't in it anymore.

Hank begrudgingly pulled himself up and got ready, only hearing the door click open a full 15 minutes later.

Tyler walked in holding 2 coffees. "Connor called. He said he called you first but you didn't answer."

"Yeah well he usually rings for much longer than that. Didn't give me the time." Hank scoffed.

Tyler placed the drinks on the TV stand. "Maybe he's scared to talk to you. Thinks you're still mad or something."

"Well I'm not mad at him, I was pissed at the time and took it out on him there's a difference."

Tyler sat on the end of her bed and switched on the TV. "Why don't you tell him that then? Come on even a quick text."

Hank shook his head. "No I'll tell him in person there'll be plenty of chances." His attention went to the remnants of the highway war on TV.

Tyler turned the volume up.

 _There are no confirmed civilian casualties but at least 8 officers hospitalized with what could be 'potentially serious injuries'. Still, we have received no confirmation on where the androids involved came from. Could Detroit be in danger of another android war? We'll keep you updated._

 **Mute**

"Brilliant." Hank said tiredly. He leaned forward to pick up his coffee. "What Connor want us for then?"

Tyler tensed. "He has a job for us. To do with the RK900's. Apparently we're the best for the job because we're not androids and nobody will recognise us."

Hank narrowed his eyes. "Go on."

Tyler handed him her phone, an address on the screen. "He wants us to find android Deactivation codes."

* * *

The address led to a normal high-rise building in an area that was as ordinary as any. It had the dreary feel of a work space but the modern design of the new world.

Tyler and Hank stomped up the stairs. "Apparently on one of the floors are some well hidden Cyberlife offices. For the more _inconspicuous_ workings." Tyler was explaining, reciting the information Connor had given her.

Hank would've scoffed if he wasn't so out of breath. "'Cause anything about Cyberlife is conspicuous. What about the rest of the building?"

"Some publishing company that has no idea what's going on right under their noses."

Hank smiled dryly. "And Kamski knew about them."

"Why wouldn't he." They made it to the doors which Hank held open for her. "He is the CEO after all."

"Was." He reminded.

"Was."

The sleek glass door closed itself behind them. Hank rubbed his hands together. Despite the recent sun, it was a more than windy day.

Tyler was already at the reception desk. "May I speak to Bishop please."

The human receptionist seemed a little taken aback but nodded and stood up soon after. "Of course." She squinted her brows at them before entering a back room.

Hank strolled up beside her. "Bishop?"

Tyler leaned on the desk, Hank could tell she was nervous. "It's what Connor told me to say. I guess it's a sort of code word. Or the guy in charge."

Not long after they were been approached by a watchful young man. "What's your business?" His voice was deep and demanding. Vigilant in his movements.

Hank was growing wary fast. So many things were wrong with this, Cyberlife and their secrets. They could be anywhere and everywhere, and that was dangerous.

"Um, we have an appointment with Mr Fritz." Tyler tried to sound half as assertive but the waver in her voice betrayed her.

According to Kamski, Mr Fritz was the man who would supposedly have the access to anything to do with the 900's. Conveniently on his lunch break. 'A man of habit' Kamski had said, 'Nothing could break him from his strict schedule.'

The man waited for more. Openly suspicious of them. Tyler was nervous, and he could see that, but Hank didn't budge - standing tall with his own equally intimidating presence.

Tyler held up her phone for the man to see. On it, a forged email directly from Mr Fritz, personally inviting them. Everything about the email was perfect. It had been made to look like it had been sent from one of Mr Fritz's most private emails. It was littered with secret phrases that only long time employees should know, and had an illicit bar code near the bottom which the man scanned after taking Tyler's phone off her to get a closer look.

It felt like a full minute of him just staring at the email, sniffing it out, but eventually he handed the phone back before pulling out a sort of key-card from his inner pocket. "Use this in the elevator, it will give you access to the right floor."

Tyler steadied her hand as she took it. "Thank's." She said awkwardly.

The man watched Hank who hadn't said a word with a hostile stare, which Hank returned with his own more experienced one. Keeping the stature of a man who would take attitude from no one as he sauntered past the ominous character.

* * *

Tyler was practically running as the elevator dropped them off on the correct floor. "Okay, let's get this over with fast."

The floor, or at least the hall, seemed empty. The offices sealed and impervious to onlookers. Some had little glass windows on the doors, but even they were frosted and impossible to see through.

Hank gazed at it all in unamusement. "Yeah, you're right."

They had a plan already. Hank was to be on lookout while Tyler retrieved - or attempted to retrieve the codes.

He noticed her reluctance. "I'll call you if anythings wrong, or anyone shows up. Just be sure to get straight outta there when I do."

She nodded, suddenly ambitious and begun to make her way to the office marked ' _Mr Fritz'_.

"Wait." Hank's voice stopped her.

They did not have time for this. "What?" She turned, restless.

"Just..." He grumbled to himself. "Hurry."

She nodded and turned, unable to see the reluctant gaze behind her.

* * *

The office was unlocked, for whatever reason. Possibly Mr Fritz' confidence in the buildings security. Plus, men like him, powerful men didn't expect things like this to happen to them - they were untouchable, or so they thought.

Tyler leaped to the computer and used the password Connor - or Kamski technically - had supplied her with. Her fingers glided across the keys, heart thumping in rhythm with the _tick tick tick_ of the clock. "Ghh shut up." She whispered to the inanimate object.

She knew where she should be looking but with all the different file names popping out at her, the curiosity was hard to ignore. The computer contained several saved draft emails; many conversations about the sick destruction of androids. Cruel words thrown around like it was a game. Twisted plans and ideas. Something else caught her eye, she came across a picture of at least 15 people, men and fewer women. Five of the men at the front, all middle aged with thin hair and chubby faces - one of them she knew as Mr Fritz - each proudly held up the head of an android, the remnants of blue blood staining their fingers. A feeling of dread swept through her, and she wanted to leave more than ever. 'My god they're fucking android trophy hunters'. She thought half disgusted, half mortified.

The tick of the clock reminded her that time was sacred and the scrolling started. Her hand grasped the mouse, clicking from one file to the next. There was one titled _RK Models._ That had to be it. She scrolled down rapidly, trusting if what she was searching for was here, her brain would catch onto it.

A vibration circulated her body, her phone buzzing in her pocket. It was most likely Hank but she was so close. She could feel it.

Her heart jumped again, in a different way, in excitement. It was here. The USB stick was in the computer in a second. Tyler dragged the file she needed into it and stiffened for the few tense moments it took to complete. She closed every opened window until there was no trace. Her hand went back to the keyboard - all that was left was ctr-alt-delete and the the sign out button.

The door opened and a tired middle aged man walked in. He seemed startled for a moment but fixed it fast. "Can I help you miss?"

Tyler had managed to swerve round to the other side of the desk, quickly leaving the computer in sleep mode. It was still signed in - and she had to leave before he realised that.

A polite grin masked her apprehension. "Hi there I was just looking for a Mr Greene's office. I'm Megan Thompson from the educational publishing council and was going to ask if he would be interested in a possible sponsorship." It was the best she could do with only a few seconds to think. And she knew from her brief research on this place, there was indeed a Mr Greene employed with the company - the actual publishing company, not Cyberlife.

The man's face was a subtle mix of skepticism and politeness. He smiled, moving closer to his desk. "I'm sorry but you have the wrong department, try a few floors up."

"Oh." She smiled again, feigning embarrassment. "My bad. I'm so sorry to have bothered you." She made to leave as the man hovered over his computer.

"Wait."

Her body tensed, frozen. With an inquisitive smile she turned her head to him. "Yes."

He was trailing his fingers smoothly along his desk. His smile didn't falter. His eyes were glinting. "I'm sorry, what did you say your name was again?"

"M-megan Thompson." It stuttered right from the start, her mouth suddenly dry.

"And you're with the..."

"Educational publishing council." At least she thought that was what she said. Tyler wasn't smiling anymore. The door was right there, she could go right now, make a run for it.

The man inhaled sharply as he sauntered around his desk.

"I really should get going I don't want to miss Mr Greene."

"Hmm." He chuckled. "Mr Greene, I've heard of him. It is quite strange you would confuse my office with his considering he is in an entirely different building. Quite the mishap."

Tyler turned to him fully, a little more hostile. "I thought you said he was a few floors up."

The man smiled again, not so polite this time. "Yes, but I'm not the only one lying now am I?"

Tyler pivoted and launched herself at the door handle. Mr Fritz was already on her, ripping her back and firing her at the desk. Her breath hitched, sharp pain spreading up her spine. He moved on top of her, smashing the back of her skull against the hard wood.

He kept her there, pinned, a snarl across his face. "Now why don't you tell me who you really are."

"F-fuck you." She spat. "Fucking android killer." The paper weight was in her hand, and then it was colliding with the side of the man's temple.

He grunted in pain, clutching at his hairline. It only fueled his fight. Tyler pushed off the desk but her legs felt weak and heavy. Mr Fritz dug his fingers into her shoulder and shoved her viciously to the ground. Enjoying the _smack_ sound her body made. He madly thrust half the contents off his desk to the floor, many landing on Tyler. He picked up one of the chairs at the side and hurled it down at her.

Tyler was on her back now and when the chair came down her foot came up. The man, not ready for a counter attack stumbled and fell pathetically to the side.

Tyler spat red and using the desk hauled herself to her knees. She shuffled through papers and other items trying to find something she could use - there was no making it to the door like this.

The man was pushing himself up as she was crawling to the other side, tearing his drawers apart now. A pencil and a stationary compass were the two most deadly things she could find.

The man dragged himself up, his face an ugly mess of rage. The veins on his neck an accessory to his anger. "Fucking tramp!"

Still on her knees, Tyler glared at him in contempt. She went to stand up when the pencil slipped from her hands. When she leaned down to pick it up, she spotted a much deadlier weapon. The man had a gun taped under his desk. Without thinking about it she started clawing at it desperately but had greatly underestimated her window of time as the next thing she knew she was being dragged back by her hair.

The man used all his strength to pin her down, sparing no rage as a punch landed right in her stomach, and then another in the face. Everything was a daze, Tyler was sure the consensus was you were supposed to see stars but her vision was clouded with big pink splotches and the occasional glimpse of a mad man with saliva dripping from his mouth, towering over her.

He wrapped his hands around her throat and she was struck with how instantaneous the need for air was, the weight in her head an immediate reaction. Hank. Where the hell was Hank? Where was anybody? Did they not know she was dying? Were they not going to help her?

Tyler had never felt so much uncontrollable rage in her life as the she stuck the compass in her hand right into the mans wrinkly eye. "Bastard." She choked. He yelled in pain, a spasm rippling his body away from her. The air was welcomed, she was on her side now breathing it in through the sputtering.

The next thing Tyler knew she had crawled back over to the gun and ripped the tape keeping it from her. Hauling herself to her feet she limped to the side of the desk, using it to steady herself.

Mr Fritz was still screaming, covering his bloody eye like it would fix the problem. She aimed the gun at him. His good eye caught hold of what she was doing. From him there was a moment of fear and from her, a moment of hesitation.

 _Bang_

Tyler had never shot at anyone and surprised herself when her aim was better than expected. The bullet went straight through his other eye.

A horrible moan left her. The gun clattered to the floor. She dropped back to her knees and rested her head on the desk.

The door burst open. Hank took a few steps in when his brain registered the scene in front of him. "Shit." He turned to Tyler who was a bloody mess of cuts and bruises. He went to her. "Fuck, Jesus are you okay?"

She nodded, a vacant look in her eyes.

Hank squatted down and rubbed his knuckles off his forehead. "Shit, I'm so sorry I knew something was up. Fuck kid I should've come sooner."

The same emptiness filled her voice. "No. It's okay. I'm okay. I handled it. And . . . I got what we came for." She stared at the body. "I'm not going to jail am I?"

Hank sighed. "No, no you're not." He stood up. "Because we were never here."

* * *

Frantic knocking had Connor up in a second. He speeded to the door and opened it for the third time today.

"Connor." She sounded relieved.

"Kara, you're okay."

She stood there, a slight nod, refusing to meet his eyes again.

He stepped aside for her and she smiled weakly.

Kara didn't turn to him as he closed the door behind her.

"So." The room went quiet. "Where were you?"


	15. All One Big Riddle

Androids. His greatest achievement. His legacy. Androids were his creation but deviants were their own. Deviants were more human than humans; Deviants were a manifestation of humanity's greatest desire; Deviants were the desire. Deviants were unique - some leaders meant to change the world, some as average as they come, just like with humans. Deviants were man kinds new great mystery. Deviants were a riddle. Just like the current android affliction; a riddle. Riddles solving riddles. Kamski smirked to himself. No one bothered to ask why.

...

...

...

Before Kara had even begun to explain herself Connor had blurted it out; that he was worried about her.

And believe it or not, it eased the tension.

Kara stuttered over herself, taken aback by his statement. "I'm sorry, Connor I should have told someone where I was going. I didn't think I'd be that long- I'm sorry."

Connor tipped his head to the floor. "It's okay."

Kara stayed quiet long enough to make sure he wasn't going to say anything else. "I went to see Erica." She explained, earning her an uncertain glare.

Full interrogation mode activated - If anything could make Connor sad it was knowing he couldn't ask more than one question at a time. He loved answers, truly. - He prioritised, "Well, who is she?"

Kara stood without any real answer. She gave a half shrug half shake of the head. "I- She's Erica.-"

Connor seemed more confused and Kara could tell he wasn't satisfied with the little information. "You didn't learn anything? Did you ask her anything?"

"She stuck with her story. On our side, wants to help but wouldn't give me anything more." Connor believed her frustration.

From an outside perspective Kara might have seemed tense, but her stress levels didn't rise any. She wasn't lying.

"She's an android." Kara added and Connor nodded like it made sense. He supposed android allies did make more sense than human allies these days.

Kara went on to describe Erica's appearance as precisely as she could. It sounded average enough, nothing that stuck out, nothing too distinguishable. Many androids could hold that appearance. Many humans could hold that appearance, even knowing she was an android - she wouldn't stand out in a crowd of people that all looked like people.

For extra clarification Kara synced with Connor so he could see for himself but the image couldn't be transferred - things like that didn't happen, it was like the image was corrupted and it made no sense. Connor felt almost betrayed by his processors for not being able to access it.

"Did you and Erica sync at any point, Kara?" Connor asked.

Kara nodded yes. "She told me it was so I could be sure she was telling the truth."

"And was she?"

"Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, but it was less clear than when I sync with others."

"And she might have been choosing what information to share with you carefully." Connor realised. "You think we can trust her?"

"I'm not sure." Kara said ruefully. She averted her gaze away awkwardly and Connor realised it was because he was only a few inches away, practically boring his eyes through her.

"Sorry." He stepped back, missing the winsome twitch of her lips.

Kara looked around around like she was just now realising they were alone. "Where is everybody?"

They made their way to the couches. Connor told her about North's arm, most everyone had tagged along for her replacement. And about Hank and Tyler's whereabouts - the deactivation codes and why North needed a new arm in the first place.

"I heard about the highway incident. I didn't know Markus and North were there." She explained sullenly.

Connor mimicked her tone, "It was them they were after."

"Right, because of the unique coding. We still have a virus to stop."

There was a knock on the door. Meaning someone without a key.

Kara waited on the couch , hearing Connor shout 'Who's there?' when he was at the door. A muffled voice and the door creaked open.

It was Tyler, still rough looking but now with various plasters and bandages on her face.

"Are you okay?" Connor asked in alarm.

"I'm alright. And so is Hank, he's at the police station...handling some stuff." She entered the room.

"Kara, you're back. You okay?" Tyler said, jumping a bit when she realised Connor wasn't the only one here.

Kara stood up like the bruises on Tyler's face had startled her. "Fine. Are you?"

"I am." She turned to Connor. "And I've brought something for you."

* * *

The three of them sat around Tyler's open laptop, - retrieved from the motel on the way here.

"First, we need to upload it." She stuck the pen drive into the side. "Considering what these are, it may take a while."

This was what they needed, but it wasn't easy for Connor to ignore the thought picking away at him."Is this okay?" he asked, more towards Kara. "If these androids can deviate, even if it's the slimmest of chances, then is this...murder?"

Tyler's fingers stopped moving. She was human, and as all for androids as she was, the fact she hadn't considered that, was proof. She looked from Connor to Kara - it wasn't her decision to make.

It was a daunting question, sure. Kara was as compassionate as she was and if the situation were any different she might be more inclined to not use the codes at all. But this pain was inflicted in her daughter, if the 900's were going to hinder their progress in any way - more so than already, then Kara knew what came first.

Still, she didn't want to flat out say - admit - she was alright with the extermination of a whole class of androids. "You said it would take a while to upload right?" She asked Tyler. "We'll have some time to think about it then." But she already knew her answer. Anything it takes.

Tyler regarded Connor and he nodded. She started the upload process. "If you can deactivate, there must be a way to reactivate." She said while clicking away.

"You think?" Connor inquired.

Tyler nodded. Kamski had admitted he hadn't bothered stopping deviation, he gave his androids emergency exits and even installed virus software in some of his models - there was no way he would leave a way for them to be shut down indefinitely. "Definitely."

Then again 900's were the only ones Kamski had nothing to do with.

The process started, and after about 6 seconds it was at 1%. Tyler shoved the laptop further into the middle of the table. "Now we wait."

* * *

The atmosphere wasn't tense. It was barely apprehensive. The upload had so long to go now anyway. Really, if anything it was just deafeningly boring.

Tyler was sprawled out on the couch to the side, staring at the ceiling absentmindedly, twisting every few seconds, tapping her foot, changing positions. Kara was glad she didn't share the same fidgety nature as humans did. There was a ping to her side, with the way Connor was flicking his Coin into the air, it seemed he didn't share her patience.

She watched him twirling his coin on his finger, from one to the next.

"They programme you to do that?" Kara quipped.

Connor's coin froze, he almost smiled. "Nope." He flipped it up into the air and caught it. "Taught myself all by myself." He tipped his head, speaking like it was his proudest achievement.

Kara turned her head, trying to pretend she wasn't smiling and Tyler grinned from her couch.

Connor laid the coin flat in his palm. "I didn't know it at the time, but this coin was my first act of deviancy - from the very beginning."

Kara looked back, Interested.

Connor was watching the coin firmly. "It relaxed me, cleared my head. Gave me something to do. I wasn't supposed to need to relax, my head was programmed to be clear - and I wasn't meant to get bored."

It was in Kara's eyes that she understood perfectly. "It was always in us."

He smiled. Moments passed. He flicked the coin. "Well Kara, what about you? What do you do when you're bored."

"Well, I don't have a coin to play with."

"Pass the time with." Connor corrected.

She almost rolled her eyes, endearingly. "'Pass the time with'. I suppose Alice and I play games, small stuff to - as you say, pass the time."

Tyler saw the percentage on the computer was barely crawling by. "Pass the time." She muttered "Yeah." She sat up. "How about we do something, like..."

"Like?" Connor asked.

"Like a game. How about riddles?"

Kara appeared a little confused but Connor was quick to agree.

"But no android cheating." Tyler added.

"Android cheating?" Kara asked.

"You know what I'm getting at, I'm guessing you have internet access built in."

Connor let his coin drop back and pocketed it. "Agreed. Whose first?"

Tyler crossed her arms. "Well you seem eager. So on you go."

He was. Hank and himself often did stuff like this on long journeys. Always testing Hank's short fuse to the limit.

It took Connor only a second to access one. Not cheating since he's searching for the questions not the answers. "It starts out tall, but the longer it stands, the shorter it grows."

Tyler flopped back, suddenly remembering that she was terrible at riddles. Kara was the opposite, jolting up like the game was of the utmost importance.

"A candle." Both girls said at the same time. Kara's mouth turned into a line, she twitched as the competitive side in her awoke. Even though no one ever mentioned it being a competition.

Tyler didn't have a million different riddles at her disposal, the only ones stored in her brain were short ones her dad used to annoy her with. She put her feet on the table. "Okay so, what room do ghosts avoid?"

"I don't believe in ghosts." Connor said blankly.

Tyler snorted. "Not the point."

Kara shook her head like she was embarrassed to answer.

"What?!" Tyler laughed.

"Let me guess, the living room." Kara guessed. Connor also shook his head.

"Come on that wasn't that bad."

"That's not a riddle that's a joke." Kara said like she was outraged.

"What?!" She sounded offended. "No its a joke-riddle."

Kara squinted at her. "A what?"

"Your turn." She changed the subject.

Kara used the first suitable one she could find. "I have one, you have one. If you remove the first letter, a bit remains. If you remove the second, bit still remains. After much trying, you might be able to remove the third one also, but it remains. It dies hard!"

The weight of the coin in Connor's pocket seemed to deepen, rightfully so. "A habit." He answered.

Kara nodded, ignoring Tyler's groan which said she regretted her choice of game.

Connor started to tell his next one but it became a huge cluster of words, way too hard to keep up with and Tyler thought he must be fucking with her. Or he was beginning to take this a bit too seriously. Either or, really.

"Wow, slow down." She stopped him and Kara gave an innocent laugh. Connor didn't seem to know what the issue was. "Sheesh a little fun one, not an actual y'know."

". . . Oh." He searched for a shorter one. "I start with M and end with X yet have a never ending amount of letters."

Tyler knew the answer too late, "Mailbox." Kara guessed.

Tyler laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world.

The three of them went back and forward like this for a while. The androids gaining the upper hand. They may not have been cheating but their minds did work like super computers and it was never too hard for them to figure out. Connor was faster, even if Kara was more serious. Tyler more and more regretted her suggestion, but could admit this change in pace was needed after the day she had had.

"Too bad Kamski's not here." Tyler sipped the wine she had ordered from room service, not worrying about who the bill was going to. "That guy fucking loves riddles and everything vague there is."

Kara agreed, glancing purposefully to her side. _"Well. Good thing Connor's so good at them."_

* * *

"35%! You're kidding!" Tyler read the number with disbelief. "We're more likely to get wiped out by 900's by the time this thing is done."

Connor knew she was joking, but knowing them she might not be too far off.

Tyler stood up. Wincing at her stiff sore body. "I'm going for a shower."

That left Connor and Kara.

Connor noted Kara's sudden gloominess. "You're worried about Alice."

She startled for a moment at his right on the money guess, but gave a nod. "Yea-yes. After everything she's been through she doesn't deserve what's happening to her." 'And neither do I.' She added in her head. Kara gave a breathless laugh. "I remember not long after the revolution ended, when we were finally safe. I was always still on edge even though I knew it had to be over. I took Alice to the park and one thing led to another and she had fallen off the climbing frame." She smiled. "I went to see if she was okay, but she was already back up and climbing again. After everything. After being fugitives and all the times we were attacked or shot at and all the rest of it this little thing had me worried for her. "It was the first time I felt normal, in the best way."

Connor smiled lightly, appreciative of the story.

After some silence, "What about you, Connor?"

"What about me?" He tilted his head, Kara noticed he did that quite a bit, it was almost kind of endearing.

She leaned her head forward a bit. "You're a deviant too. You must have stories."

He gave a sort of shrug. "Nothing like that."

Her smile dimmed and changed to curious. "Nothing memorable? Special? You must have, we all do."

He seemed to think about it and made like he wanted to say something.

Kara's smile returned. "What? What is it?" She asked, knowing he had one.

"I have some but it's not like yours they're so ...out of nowhere."

"That's the point. Something that sticks out whether it's significant or not. Tell me one."

He relented, suddenly looking a little excited.

"The day itself was insignificant. Hank had to stay at work longer than I did. He said I had one job." He held up his index finger as a one to emphasize. "To keep Sumo calm when he got home, because he tends to overreact when Hank comes home late and Hank didn't want him waking the whole street as he put it."

Kara held onto his words like he was giving her answers to all her problems.

"I started playing with him, he got riled up, I lost track of time. The next thing I know Hank's unlocking the door and Sump's charging for him."

Kara snorted.

"Hank practically got thrown out the house, he had groceries too and we spent the next 5 minutes trying to recover everything that didn't break or burst on impact."

Kara smiled without showing teeth. "Too out of nowhere?" Connor asked her.

"No, I liked that. It's the things like that, 'ordinary' that make it all so - " She couldn't find the words but Connor nodded anyway.

For a while a comfortable silence grew between them.

"Connor."

"Yes?"

"What Tyler said earlier...about Kamski and riddles."

"Yes?"

"Everything comes in threes."

* * *

A/N:

hoping things will pick up after next chapter, I really can't wait for everything to go to shit. :)

thank you for reading.


	16. Blindfold Chess

Hank's eyes roamed Fowler's office. Leaned casually on the chair opposite. His eyebrows raised as he waited for his stress ridden boss to speak.

A sigh from behind the desk. A long one, built up over many years of unappreciated public service and the shit piled on by tragedy after travesty.

Eventually he spoke. "You seen the news?" Sometimes he missed just talking to Hank, there was a time when he was more than just his boss.

Hank cleared his throat. "The highway incident?" No one knew who had dubbed it that. But that's what it was. The highway _Incident._ What a word.

Another sigh. If sighing away all your problems had ever worked, Fowler would look a whole lot younger. "It's more than that. Hostilities towards androids are returning."

Hank shifted. "Fuck. They're the ones dying horrible deaths." It was funny now how quickly he could become defensive for them now, the previously renowned anti-android that he was.

Fowler opened his mouth to exhale.

"Sigh again, Jeffrey, I swear to god."

Fowler threw daggers but held his breath. "I'm aware of what the androids are going through, trust you me, and I'm not the only one. Which is why tension is beginning to grow from all sides. The androids, the people who sympathize with them and the people who don't."

Hank scoffed 'all sides' never a thing such as cooperation. Humans could barely manage it among themselves never mind with another species. What did he expect? Nothing, that's what. Yet it still managed to get his panties in a bunch. He sighed.

"Oh what so you can do it?" It sounded pretty aggressive for a quip.

They went silent.

"Jesus." Fowler put his head in his hands. I can't take another revolution. I just-" The first one was like a long extinguished nightmare. His phone never stopped, the ringtone like a warning siren, berating him with every note. The media hounded him constantly, so did the public, people wanted answers and when he didn't have them they may as well have spit right in his face. The sleepless nights, the moral dilemma, the city in chaos, the country in ruins. He couldn't do it. His job wouldn't survive another war. _He_ wouldn't survive another war.

"It won't come to that." Hank assured not very enthusiastically, just catching the hint of terror in Fowler's otherwise reserved expression.

Fowler swallowed the dry air. "They think it's humans doing this to them."

"I think so too." Hank didn't hesitate. Cyberlife. He should just say it but couldn't give anything away yet.

"Jesus." Fowler's eyes went dead. Hank may have his problems but his initiative was good. And that's not what he wanted to hear.

A pen from the desk fell off with an innocent plod that both men ignored.

Hank almost slipped, this tiny urge to tell Fowler about his stance with Kamski. How they were, well not 'working' together, it was more like Kamski was following him around. No that's not the word. Lingering, he's lingering around them.

Observing.

The silence of the room was becoming white noise.

Fowler squinted upwards. "What did you come in here for again?"

Hank pushed up a bit. "Right. Well I'm sure you've heard about the publishing company _incident_." Hank stopped when he saw Fowler's expression. "No?"

"No." Fowler's skeptical, mildly accusatory eyes burned through the distance.

Hank didn't break contact, his eyes stayed trained innocently. Fowler should've been the first one to know.

"Is there something I should know?" Hank didn't even register his question.

Unless, ... it was covered up. Of course, Cyberlife can't report the death without bringing their own presence into question. It's supposed to be a publishing company and that man has no relations to it. They don't need the press right now. Not with the public questioning their involvement in the 900's. Shit, he realised he shouldn't have said anything. He needed a way out of this. Fowler's glare was manifesting into its own being by this point. Hank cleared his throat. "I'm drunk." he said matter-of-factly.

"Y-you're what?" Fowler stuttered.

"Piss drunk, Jeffrey." He stood up. "Sorry to bother you with my um ramblings and such."

"Hank, wait." Fowler reached out his hand.

Hank was already at the door. "No, no, you've got enough on your plate. I'm just going to sober up a bit."

"What about your job, Hank?!" Fowler barked when Hank was half out the office.

"Yeah, my job I'll get right to that." Jesus, how the fuck was he not fired yet?

Fowler lowered back into his chair with a shake of his head as Hank took the stairs down from the office. Fowler knew he was trying to change the subject, Hank knew Fowler knew - but as long as it wasn't being brought up he didn't care. Any way to get away was going to have to work because Hank too, had his own shit to deal with.

'Fuck sakes not my smoothest escape ever.' He thought. To be fair he was a bit drunk.

He scooted past the desks, almost making it through before the unwelcome figure appeared.

 _not in the mood, not in the mood really notinthemood_

"Not in the mood, Gavin." Hank tried to brush past Gavin who was just leaning away from his desk.

He followed tail, droning from behind and Hank knew he wasn't getting away that easy. "Not in the mood? You ever in the mood?! There was a fucking mess to clean up on that highway and you were nowhere around."

 _still not in the mood_

Hank continued to ignore him.

"Have you even put in a good word for me yet?"

Hank stopped with a sigh and turned to him lifelessly. "I will, okay?" Maybe, probably, whatever got him to fuck off.

"Then would have been your chance." He side glanced to Fowler's office. He must have seen them speaking. Fucking stupid glass office.

"Trust me, it wasn't." Hank deadpanned.

"Fuck." Gavin shook his head with a condescending, sort of angry smirk. "Get your shit together."

 _ **notinthemood**_

Hank swept his body back round and left without another word.

* * *

"You're back, Lieutenant." Chloe, who had opened the hotel door greeted him with an overbearing smile. Hank's reply was a less enthusiastic nod. She stepped aside for him.

"Thanks."

The room was packed. Everyone was here. Standing around in a misshapen circle. Wouldn't take a detective to figure out they were having a meeting.

He met eyes with Tyler first, wincing inwardly at her bruising. She nodded at him, so he knew it was alright. Next, Connor, it felt longer than it had been. Their eyes met and Hank might have been able to get an idea of how Connor felt towards him if his line of sight wasn't blocked off by Kamski, quite purposely taking centre. "We can begin now he's here can't we?" He asked with some exasperation.

Hank scoffed a laugh. "Aw Shit you guys, don't tell me you waited for me?" It was meant sarcastically.

Some people in the room were amused by his comment, others were not, some pretended not to be when they really where.

"You said something about a gathering?" Markus spoke to Kamski, diverting the rest of the groups attention. Kamski who was one of the people not amused.

Kamski's demeanour shifted, he smiled, in that way he does: Deviously; ironically. "Yes, I thought I should let you know that Cyberlife members old and current are holding an event in honour of 'new technology' and other advancements and what not, but..."

"You think that's a cover up for what they're really all gathering in one place for?" Hank chimed in, his arms folded across his chest.

"Most definitely." Kamski shouldn't have been surprised by how quickly he had drawn that conclusion, but I suppose he was.

"Which is what?" Kara asked.

"The pain?" Tyler suggested

"Android extermination?" North added.

"Could be. Could be something else entirely but I doubt highly, that it would be anything beneficial to you." Kamski offered.

"How did _you_ even hear about this?" Markus finally asked.

"That's my business, and if you don't believe me ask Chloe, she wouldn't lie to you."

It was true most people trusted Chloe. Trust Kamski to take advantage of it.

"And why are you telling us? Are you trying to help?" Markus asked with more skepticism.

"Well, you're not getting anywhere and I'm losing interest."

Somebody scoffed.

"When is it then?"

"Tonight."

* * *

Hank realised after the meeting that Willow was missing. Along with the other Chloe models. And it was explained to him that they had been sent off to take care of tonight's dress code - Before anyone had even agreed they were going. The meeting dragged on a little longer before that was confirmed. The consensus being they should find out as much as possible. Especially if Cyberlife was planning something.

"You'll all need to go in pairs at least, it's unusual for people to turn up to these kind of events alone." Kamski had explained. Adding later to Hank that he could go alone and no one would really bat an eye. Don't think he missed what that implied. He was still in no mood for this shit.

"You definitely can't go alone." Kamski had said to Tyler, looking her up and down with a thirsty glint. "People will have questions."

Tyler had folded her arms stared him down. "Fuck, what kind of parties do you get invited too?"

He reminisced. "They do have rather out-of-sorts standards."

"What about androids? Will they even let them in?"

"Anyone with an android problem can't say anything publicly. So they'll have to pretend at least."

Tyler sized him up. "Won't people be wondering why the _former_ CEO of Cyberlife is there?"

"Yes, but as the original _founder_ I can do what I want without getting questioned."

Fair enough ...?

* * *

It wasn't long before Hank found his moment alone with Connor. And before he could talk himself into being more of a dickhead, he apologised. "I shouldn't have taken it out on you."

"You were right to."

"Hell I was. You did what you had to and I should've realised it the first time."

Eventually Connor replied, "Thank you."

Hank didn't know what he was being thanked for, his forgiveness? his understanding? relieving his guilt? "So we're good?"

"We are."

Hank leaned over and patted him on the shoulder. "Good."

A weight had been lifted.

Hank rubbed a hand down his face. "Guess we better be preparing for this 'event' then."

"You don't think going is a good idea?" Connor asked, sensing the disdain in his voice.

"I don't know, but I think we're running out of options."

"That is reassuring."

Hank gave a half-hearted chuckle. "I'm sure it will be fine, and who knows it might even be worth our while." He hoped Connor was convinced because he certainly wasn't.

* * *

The sleek cardboard box landing on the table in front of him didn't startle Connor. "What's this?" He looked up to Markus.

Markus took a seat across from him. "Chess."

And that's how they ended up playing chess.

Markus went first, moving his pawn two spaces forward. "I've been hoping for someone to play with. Chess has a way of clearing my head, helps me strategize better."

Connor moved one of his pawns a space forward.

"Re-learning how to think ahead," Markus went on, moving another piece.

"Take mind of my opponent."

Connor moved his knight without hesitation.

"Reminds me of the importance of each individual player."

Markus moved his own knight, "The unfortunate but necessary roll of some pieces."

Connor moved another pawn forward in rhythm with Markus' voice.

"And sacrifice." He moved his bishop, his eyes glowed in a reminiscent sorrow.

Connor went for his own bishop and his hand hovered in hesitation at Markus' words, he made the move.

"I understand." Connor kept his eyes firm on the board. "The importance of decisions, placement. Repercussions. I don't envy you."

The game picked up speed and Markus smiled weakly. "Good."

Connor moved one of his pieces. "The comparison isn't wrong but in the end this is just a game."

Markus hesitated on a move before continuing. "You're right. The real thing is much more daunting."

Markus usually won chess. Even against other androids but him and Connor came to an impossible stage where they just couldn't get around each other.

When it came to their fight, they were together...

Connor made another move as the pieces on the board began to disappear one by one.

...But yet in chess there is only one winner.

"What?" Connor asked when he saw Markus' faint smile.

Markus made another move. "I'm glad we're on the same side."


	17. A Kind of Prelude

Kara watched as her own hollowed out expression watched her right back.

Her lips turned red. Her eyelids shimmered. It was a built in make up feature her model was equipped with, she'd never had any use for it until now. She wasn't invited to very many parties.

Kara could already pass for human, but these finishing touches did no harm. This and the gorgeous purple dress, long and flowing and gem laced. Definitely, no harm done.

Kara could pass for human but it wasn't a necessary part of this mission, some may recognise her common house-cleaner model through the fake makeup and the short hair and the fancy dress but if not then it was don't ask don't tell.

"You clean up nice." North commented amongst her retreat from the bathroom.

"I could say the same, you look nice." Kara complimented, sweet but halfheartedly. Being away from her family so long was exhausting - as much as she was enjoying the company surrounding her, the importance regarding her reason for being here in the first place wasn't forgotten.

North could easily tell Kara's wasn't in the most uplifting mood, and she knew not to push it.

It was around this same time that Hank was pacing down the hall back to their room having left the building for some much needed room to breathe. Apart from his well fitted suit he hadn't done much to clean up his appearance.

"Nice suit, going somewhere special."

It appeared he had caught someones attention.

As if Hank could ever mistake a voice as snark as that. His body turned in time with the roll of his eyes. "The fuck do you think you're doing here, Gavin?"

Gavin was caught between a smirk and a scowl, arms folded, shoulders ready.

 _'Bastard followed me.'_

"You got some nerve."

Gavin scoffed in equal disdain. "Me? You're joking rig-

"...What the hell?" He cut himself off.

Hank's head pivoted to match Gavin's line of sight.

"Is that fucking Elijah Kamski?"

Kamski who was switching from one room to the next must have sensed his name in conversation because he paused, turned his head ever so slightly, smirked and waved over at them innocently. "See you inside, Lieutenant Anderson." He called. It was like he knew that that was one of the worst possible things he could have done. Now there was no lying and saying it was mere coincidence, Gavin was already hot on the trail.

Hank swore under his breath.

He turned to Gavin in silence. It was an awkward experience all round.

Gavin broke the interlude, stuttering as he did. "How about you tell me what's going on before I contact Fowler and get your sorry ass fi-"

"Alright, shut up." Hank grabbed him and pulled him not so elegantly into the room before he could cause a scene.

He had questions. Loads of questions, and then loads of threats. Threats about telling Fowler, threats about, well that was it really, but Gavin had a new colourful way of wording them each time.

Hank had no choice but to introduce him to the others and explain in as little detail as possible what was happening while still finding a way to quench Gavin's thirst for information.

It had taken some work but Hank and a few others had convinced him not to say anything to Fowler just yet. On a condition, of course: Gavin wanted in, assuring them that the investigation was just as important to him. Whether Hank believed it or not didn't matter now. Gavin was just one more guest on the invite list.

When it was all dealt with Hank was drained. He collapsed gracelessly onto the couch, leaning his head back on the rest and closing his eyes. Not a moment later he felt another presence over him. "Can't catch a break can I?" He opened them to see Tyler. "You need something?"

With a face full of makeup and a long sleeved dress Tyler stood anew. It would be practically impossible to tell she had ever had a scratch. "Yeah, kinda, I need a 'partner' to show up to this thing with. I don't think Kamski was joking about the whole showing up alone is suspicious."

He huffed which made Tyler more impatient. His answer pretty much lacked any conviction or enthusiasm but not because he didn't care. "Why don't you go with Willow?"

"I had the same idea." Tyler put her hands to her hips. "She isn't keen on going in, said she'd rather be our 'eyes on the outside' kind of thing."

Hank pushed up a bit. "Can't say I blame her."

She shrugged. "I don't either, we're not even there yet and I'm already feeling uncomfortable. Though I did shoot one of their employees."

Hank winced, quickly checking behind them, no one knew about that but it was Gavin he was most worried about finding out. "Keep your voice down alright, we don't need that to become common knowledge."

Seemingly a little guilty she switched subjects. "Right so, who can I go with then? Don't say you." She added.

Hank simmered as he stood. "Don't worry about that. I think I have an even worse idea."

"Sounds promising." Tyler retorted as she followed.

"Gavin!" Hank called once in the middle of the room.

The bathroom door opened fast. "What?" Gavin emerged, now dressed as appropriately as the rest of them.

"Come here."

"Who's this?" Gavin nodded behind to Tyler.

"Your date." He turned to her. "Happy now?"

She certainly didn't look happy. Her expression of doubt and apathy mirrored his own.

Hank was already gone by the time Tyler had said, "You'll do." Which Gavin smirked to.

"You look nice." Connor was saying to Kara on the other side of the room.

"Thank you, you too."

"Is everything all right?" He asked, picking up on her uneasiness.

She brushed off any deeper feelings and chose the easy answer. "It is."

Connor didn't press on it. She kind of wished he had. "We should be going then." He caught Markus' eye with a nod and the latter sauntered into the middle of the room.

"Does everyone know what we're doing tonight?" He didn't pause for an answer, "Make conversation, gather information, and remember: try to blend in."

He nodded to himself like their silence was understanding.

"Okay, then, everyone ready?"

There were nods and distant 'Yes's', nothing too enthusiastic but plenty apprehensive.

He steeled himself. "Then let's go."

* * *

Willow had done them a favour better than just suits and dresses - she'd rented them two cars (one self driving and one manual) that they'd be able to keep for a while.

They rode in groups of five. First car was Markus, North, Willow, Tyler and Gavin. The second was Connor, Kara, Kamski, Chloe and Hank.

The building was huge, bigger than even Carl Manfred's house. I mean it wasn't a house it was a mansion, glowing yellow from the inside, a million lights shining through the glass.

It was a modern but not modest building. The space in front was packed with expensive, mostly self driving cars and limousines. People were still streaming up the ornate stairs leading through the open and large front doors.

Once the cars were parked and the outside security had checked them, they were ready to go.

Kamski stopped with effort at the height of the steps and turned to address everyone else, who stood at the bottom like the noble subjects such a rich man could afford. "Remember, once we're all inside spread out so we don't appear like we entered together. And please try to remain civil." He glanced from one person to the next so that everyone got their fair share of his warning and judgement.

And that was that, he made inside and the rest followed. Through the threshold and into the lions den. The stench of blood and carcass masked beneath the gleaming surfaces, the gold walls, the pristine marble floor, the sparkling champagne and the fancy dresses.

It was a sight to behold. Packed with people with room to spare. Kamski and Chloe were the only ones not completely engulfed, seemingly use to this kind of lavish.

Amidst the beauty of it all, few guests winced imperceptibly at the sight of the confident Elijah Kamski strolling through with his unparalleled android by his side.

Kara could be the first to notice how the man strolling up to Kamski had quickly composed his disdain in place for a welcoming grin. "Elijah, my boy." the older man beamed. His tone feigned closeness but the cold handshake they shared said otherwise.

His displeasure was a little more obvious when he switched to shake Chloe's hand. Though he smiled through it.

They greeted and made small talk for a few moments before the older man peeked uneasily over Kamski's shoulder. "These your guests?"

Kamski barely turned around only giving away the slightest weary. He had told them to spread out and look natural had he not? Yet there they were dawdling behind him in a big awkward stupefied clump. "Mere coincidental timing I think." He rectified, earning a nod from the man, who either didn't have any suspicions or was keeping them to himself.

A flinch went through everyone else like a wave, realising their awkward positioning they slowly and naturally spread out, faking conversation or pretending to see something that caught their eye to get away. And if anyone took notice, just like the old man, it didn't show.

* * *

Gavin and Tyler idled on the outskirts of the crowd, trying their best to seem like they hadn't only met a few hours prior. Unlike most couples their arms were separated but they did their best to make sure it didn't look awkward, smiling inconspicuously whenever they caught someones eye.

"You recognise anyone here?" Gavin asked, his eyes lingering from guest to guest.

Tyler frowned at the question, finally making eye contact with Gavin. "Why would I?"

"Former Cyberlife employee are you not." It wasn't a question and Tyler appreciated the way his lips quirked upwards even less than she appreciated him knowing something she hadn't told him.

"How do you know that?" It wasn't exactly a full on accusation but it was hardly polite.

"Background check." He stated as if it were the norm.

Tyler bit down on her lip to stop herself from making an obvious scene. "You did a background check?" She spoke slowly, unsure if she needed to make a deal of it yet.

Gavin didn't even bother looking back over at her, never mind trying to placate the situation. "I have to know who I'm working with. Couldn't let you compromise anything."

 _'Compromise.'_ Was this guy for real? It was settled - she was making a deal of it.

When he turned to her Gavin finally caught a glance at her animosity which made him stop where he stood. "What? What else would you expect?"

Her sigh turned into a disbelieving laugh half way through. "How about the benefit of the doubt? Hank told you himself that I've been as dedicated to this as anyone else _and_ I've made a lot more progress than you have."

They weren't exactly the most rapacious words but they were still enough to break Gavin's extremely short fuse and crack a dent in his not so solid ego. "Progress?" He whined a little too loud garnering a few unneeded stares. "Progress," He started in a quieter voice, "You call what you've done progress, sure you have some fancy codes, a useless diary from a pigeon feeding freak and, and..." He threw up his hands in triumph. "That's it."

"It's more than you've managed!" She deflected.

"Bullshit, I've been busy keeping things in order!"

"Cleaning up the crime scenes of dead androids is not keeping things in order!"

Gavin froze, disbelieving and the two of them found themselves in a fairly disdainful stare out.

Eventually, Gavin looked away with a scoff. "Right, not like I have to take this from a civilian."

Tyler practically choked. The nerve. "...Fuck you, Gavin." Is the only thing she could spit out.

Gavin turned to her like she had said something much more offensive. He stuttered before casting out his not so creative comeback, "Fuck you, Tyler." He paused, "What's with that anyway?"

Tyler folded her arms and frowned again, squinting at him in actual confusion. "What's with what?"

"Why have you got a guys name?"

"I don't know, why have you got a girls face?"

Gavin scoffed. "Your parents disappointed or something?"

"Yours definitely must've been prickhead."

"Alright you two." Hank was stomping up to them. "What happened to being Civil." The edge he held was mixed with the slightest humour. They dared to think of how much he had overheard, and if they were making enough of a scene to catch his attention then who knows who else was spying a look.

Gavin was quick to get defensive. "I don't think it's me you need to be worrying about. If anyone's going to cause a scene tonight my moneys on you old man." He glanced at Tyler, "And this ones on her."

They rolled their eyes at him simultaneously.

Tyler jerked her head to the side. "Someone's taking pictures."

Someone was taking pictures, not of them but enough in their general direction that everyone's demeanour quickly shifted and to any outsider it would seem like they were enjoying delicate conversation.

When the camera was down Hank raised his eyebrows at them both. "Remember, civil."

Once he was gone Gavin and Tyler had to suffer each others presence in silence. If anything in the party looked out of place it was them.

"You want to get a drink?" Gavin asked like he didn't really expect an answer.

Tyler glanced to the bar, shining like a body of water in a desert. "Yeah, let's do that."

* * *

Connor was the only one in the group who still adorned his LED, making him the only one instantly recognisable as an android. It was warranting him an extra amount of shifty side eye glances and quiet whispers. It was impossible not to notice the way their noses crinkled and their bodies stiffened at the mere sight. It only made him more sure coming here was of importance, if these people really did have an android problem then that made them more than willing suspects.

Connor spotted Kamski, finally standing by himself, watching the sea of Cyberlife employees with analytical closeness.

"I'll be right back, Kara." And he made his way over.

"I need to ask you a question." Connor asked point blank, falling a few steps behind Kamski.

Kamski didn't even turn, doing his professional best to make it look like he wasn't too associated with Connor. The two of them _were_ the most stared-at-people in here after all, it wouldn't go unnoticed.

"As much as I love answering your many questions Connor I do remember telling that it wasn't the best idea to be seen conversing too openly." Kamski made a point of not facing in his direction. Feigning interest at the sight of the party.

Connor did the same if only to satisfy Kamski. "I just need to know who planned this event."

Connor couldn't see Kamski's eyebrows quirk, but he felt it. He seemed to think about it. Connor could practically see the question ' _would helping him benefit me?'_ floating above his head.

It seemed he had his answer."You see the man to your right," he began coyly, causing Connor's eyes to flicker, "The one in the salmon coloured suit." His tone was casual and ungiving, the only word that had any edge to it was _salmon._ No one could blame him, it was an awful suit and an awful choice of colour. And salmon didn't mean a nice mix between pink and peach kind of 'oh that's quirky' kind of salmon - this was a piece of salmon discoloured by time, neglect and unfortunate storage, kind of salmon.

"I see him." He confirmed quietly. The man was hard to miss, not just because of the attire, he stood out all on his own and it was in part to the many, many people surrounding him, like leeches he wasn't bothering to peel off. Everyone wanted a piece of him and his salmon suit.

Connor hurried into his next question knowing Kamski was either going to be approached by someone else or get nervous about standing too conspicuously and leave. "This building, is it his? Is it a house...? A work place...?, would it have-"

"An office?"

Connor clocked that that was basically confirmation. "An office." He repeated, being careful not to stare too noticeably.

"You can see his name, can't you?" And that was basically a hint.

Connor scanned the man in the salmon suit.

 _{Name: Linden Shallow}_

 _{Age: 62}_

 _{Occupation: Cyberlife director of Congressional Affairs}_

"Yes."

"Then that's all you need. As long as you can slip away unseen." Kamski sounded about ready to leave the conversation, but his final hint was a glance towards the stairs to the right of the room. Connor could have thanked him for his help but didn't know if he could call it that; Kamski was a man of ulterior motives, he admitted himself at the hotel the only reason he invited them here was pure disinterest at anything else they were doing. Connor wondered if this was all a show to him, a game of choices that he was attempting to lead to the most fascinating outcome.

"Good luck." Said Kamski coolly as Connor made his way back to Kara.

"Well?" Kara smiled hopefully.

"I know where I need to go." He indicated the towering staircase at the far right of the room. "But I need a way to get up unseen."

Kara was instantly looking for something that would draw attention away. And as perfectly timed as ever Hank walked up to them. "You got anything?" He asked.

"You see that man over there?" Connor motioned to the director.

Hank took a double take. "Jesus, what is he wearing?"

"Was that rhetorical?" Connor kept his eyes on Linden.

"Yes." Hank deadpanned.

"According to Kamski he's the man who organised this event and he has an office upstairs. I need to get to it discreetly." Connor explained to Hank.

Hank brushed thoughtfully at his stubble. "Right. I'll see what I can do."

"Meaning?"

"What If I could divert peoples attention long enough for you to get up there?"

Connor thought it over. "Sounds simple enough, and the Kara could keep an eye out for anyone else going up. Especially him." He referred to Linden.

Kara nodded to that.

Now for that simple divert of attention. Hank honed in on the over compensating, over obnoxious, overly expensive looking champagne glass tower. Now that would be a distraction.

Kara and Connor followed his gaze. "That'll do."

* * *

Markus was watching the guests even closer than Kamski. With a sort of coldness and fateful hardness. Markus usually looked pretty serious, may as well have been designed that way - but this was more crucial, because that's what this was, crucial. He needed something that would turn the tides for them and he needed it now.

He had meant what he said on that highway, maybe not to the same extent he had in his anger, but if his tactics had to become more unforgiving - for the sake of his friends and his people - then that's how it would be.

"Where do you think we should start?" North was asking him.

Markus had barely heard her, his eyes were glazing through at the sight of so much fake conversation and phony pleasure.

"Markus."

North's raised voice brought him back.

"Sorry. What did you say?"

She sighed, she could see that look in his eyes - but didn't push it. "I asked where we should start."

"Right." He scanned the room again, this time without so much aversion.

There was a crash and the shattering of glass.

"Oh, my bad." They could see hank putting his hands up innocently, as waiters rushed to clean up the mess that was once a grand glass tower. They brushed Hank off, not daring to reprimand a guest, but cringing to themselves at the sight.

And then they saw Connor at the other side of the room dart off right on queue.

North folded her arms with interest and accusation. "What are they up to?"

Markus almost cracked a smile. "Whatever it is I trust it's important."

"Markus." North whispered motioning to a sophisticated dressed woman lingering at the bar. "You recognise her?"

His forehead creased. "Yes, I think I do."

They probably weren't the only ones. She had been on the news a lot lately. Denying Cyberlife's involvement in the pain as forcefully as she could. She had been laying low these past few weeks, but here she was.

"I think we should talk to her." North suggested, sounding like she didn't exactly want permission but was decent enough to run it by Markus first.

He paused for a few tense moments. "I agree." He concluded. And he looked to North in confirmation.

"Well, let's not waste any time then."

* * *

The diversion had went well enough. Apart for whoever spent the time making that tower. Kara tapped her fingers nervously off her glass of champagne, she was blending in nicely.

She watched like a hawk. However unnecessary it may seem - no one seemed remotely interested in the direction of the stairs, never mind leaving the party.

Never mind. No one but one. Kara winced as the man in the salmon suit excused himself from his enshrouding company and made a beeline for the ascent.

She needed to think, he was almost at the stairs. Her legs moved fast, she was over at him in a second, stopping abruptly in front of him. He seemed confused for a moment, he eyed her up, and Kara saw it instantly; attraction. She fumbled for a conversation starter. "I-I like your suit."

The man looked more than a little pleased and Kara assumed she had said the right thing.

* * *

So that's what Kamski meant when he said that was all he needed - the mans name tag glistened on the door frame - looking quite purposely official.

 _Linden Shallow_

Like most things these days the door required technology; meaning a keypad and not a keyhole, which Connor was too swiftly able to override.

That was becoming a problem for humans now that androids had 'turned'. No technology was safe and many were considering switching to the older way of doing things, surely an adjustment but probably necessary in a world that a good amount of the population could hack their way through.

The panel lit up a satisfying green. Connor swooshed in, quietly clicking the door closed behind him.

It was a small, modernised office. Mostly consisting of black, brown and browner brown. The room was dimly lit, a brown wool carpet with blue lines streaming up and down lay beneath his feet. The desk which took up a large amount of space in such a cosy room was a slightly out of place reddish brown wood, shiny and solid, the most formidable thing in here. Laying on it was a small desk lamp a tray for stationery, a mostly modern computer and a whole load of papers.

Above the desk was an holographic photo of the salmon suit man. Connor shivered, it was all a little too kamski-ish.

Connor brushed past the towering bookshelves to his side, they were filled with awards opposed to books. He let himself linger on the paper contents atop the desk but not for too long, knowing that anything important wouldn't be in plain sight.

Connor could hack through most things but passwords were always going to be a thing, and for the neatly placed piece of technology atop the desk, he didn't have one.

He tried a few useless guesses to no gain. So he tried to break through on his own, technology vs technology style - and there was hope, hope that this sort of weak system might have a back door. The only problem was time. Always was.

* * *

"Who the hell are you?"

What surprised Connor most wasn't the confounded man in front on him, it was how on earth he had been caught so off guard, it was why he hadn't been warned by not one of his friends.

Though this wasn't the same man Kara had been tasked with keeping away, this was a different man, and Connor had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't meant to be here either.

He came out of his stasis and backed his hand away from the computer.

The other man seemed to be in his 40's. Dark hair, pallid skin, a thick inept beard. His suit the only thing really in tact. Connor could see his fingers twitching, sweat running down the key-card in his hand. He scanned him, and he scanned the card - definitely not his.

 _Name: Theodore (Theo) Collins_

 _Age: 39_

 _Occupation: (Former) Member of Cyberlife_

All Connor could get was a vague description, but the scan did show that he had a criminal record - mainly for fraud and a more recent one involving android violence, not like the punishment for that was devastating anyway. Connor was only a little surprised he was allowed access to this event. After scanning most of the guests, he could surely say that Mr Collins wasn't the only one here with a reproachable past.

"Back up."

Connor was feeling confident enough to test his luck. "Or what?"

The man twitched again, motioned his head to the door. "You want me to alert everyone in this building that you're in here." The man didn't talk so clearly, he sounded a little drunk, a little nervous.

Connor stood firm. "I don't think you'll do that." He could see the mans heart beat rising. He was right, he wasn't supposed to be here either.

No he wouldn't do that, but the twitchy man was brash enough to pull a gun right there and then - in the middle of a Cyberlife hosted event in the office of the host.

Connor scanned him again, fully this time. The reason for his brashness, his plain stupidity, he was more than drunk, he was high, and Connor deduced: broke and desperate.

He walked closer. "I saw what you were doing." He motioned to the computer. "Get into it."

Connor didn't move, a defiant posture. Unless this guy was a great shot his chances of survival were pretty high, he was faster after all, but the noise of a gunshot would be very inconvenient - maybe even more so than a bullet.

Well that was irrational but Connor's priorities were always mixed.

The man stepped, or more so stumbled closer again. "Do it." He practically begged. His chances of pulling the trigger were very likely. Almost more likely than Connor being able to stop him before he could.

Word of the day. Inconvenient.

Or if Hank were here, 'piss-take'.

His trigger-finger was twitching - Connor wondered how he even got a weapon in here, they were checked at the doors.

Didn't matter now. He could see the moisture from his skin was clinging to the the trigger, he was almost willing himself to pull it. And Connor's unrelenting glare of disapproval wasn't helping.

Connor saw the door opening behind him, slow and quiet.

"Don't do that." An untimely light voice crept into the conversation.

Chloe stood, arm stretched, a gun of her own - it looked oddly natural for someone as harmless seeming as she.

The man, even in his state had his survival instinct, just like anyone else. He tensed and put the gun down on the desk almost instantly.

Connor wondered how _she_ had even managed to get a gun inside, never mind conceal it. "Why did you come up here?" he asked her.

Chloe smiled. "I thought you might need my help." She should have just winked at him, her expression was so damn playful, if not teasing, if not inviting.

He couldn't help smirk back in an almost disbelieving way - Chloe was always one to surprise him. They were both completely ignoring the man between them, whose head was turning from one to the other as he waited for something to happen.

"Did you manage to find anything?" She asked calmly, gun fixed on the man.

"No this computers strongly guarded."

Both of their eyes snapped to Theo.

Her lip twitched. "Do you know anything, anything that could help us?" she asked sweetly.

He shuffled in place. "I,...I." He appeared to be lost for words.

"We're looking for any information on the origin of the current android epidemic." Connor clarified a little too formally.

"I...wouldn't know anything about that." He wasn't very convincing.

"You work for Cyberlife-"

"Recently reinstated." He stuttered out for some reason.

"Right. So do you know...are they behind the pain?"

His heart rate rose. "I-I don't know its not like I have anything to do with it. I swear."

It was hard to get a good read on him, his heart rate had already been fast enough to begin with.

"But Cyberlife? Or any of your colleagues." Connor pressed on, it was in his face, he was not fucking around.

"Prob- probably. I don't know for sure."

Probably? This was a very serious accusation, they couldn't go anywhere with a probably.

"I think he was looking for a more specific answer." Chloe cooed gently from behind.

He glanced at her for a moment, he was really nervous now.

"Whatever you tell us, no one will ever have to know it was you." She assured, sounding quite genuine.

"I want something in return."

"How about her not pointing a gun at you." Connor raised his eyebrows smugly.

He swallowed. Chloe's eyes followed his hand as he went for his pocket. "I'm just getting my phone." he assured.

He held up his phone to placate, it took him a second, but he brought up a contact.

"Who is that?" Chloe tried to peek over his shoulder at the phone.

Theo exhaled like he was readying himself. "His name is Robert Frigus." Connor narrowed his eyes and leaned closer to the phone which Theo held up for him to see. "H-he's worked for Cyberlife for as long as I can remember."

"What's his job exactly?" Connor asked without taking his eyes of the mans stern looking contact photo.

"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. He would always just show up for meetings - important ones at least, used to hang around Elijah Kamski a lot."

Connor's eyes shot to Chloe, if he hung around Kamski, she should know. She didn't catch his eye as Theo continued.

"My best guess was he was a right hand man. Th- this was before the revolution, of course. No ones seen him since."

"And you think he has something to do with what's happening to androids?"

Theo licked his lips, he seemed to space out for a moment in consideration. "When. The. Revolution hit...he was furious. The last time I saw him he was going on about taking back what was ours."

Connor shook his head. "Many people feel that way, it's not enough to go on."

"Yeah, but."

Connor ticked his head in a 'go on' motion.

"If you know more, you should tell us." Chloe urged nonthreateningly from behind.

"Maybe I would remember more if I didn't have a gun on my back."

Chloe lowered the gun at a reasonable pace, Theo winced anyway. He seemed to think for a moment. "A few months ago, I got an email. I thought nothing of it, 'cause like you said a lot of people don't like androids. They ramble. It was from Robert - I didn't even know he had my email I think he just sent it to all former employees."

Connor and Chloe were listening intently, wishing he would just get to the point.

"It was long, but short version is It said that he had a way to make things better for humans again. That he had _made_ a way. It had a date, place to meet. I never went. I never got another email I swear."

The room was silent as they contemplated.

"Is that all?" Connor eventually asked.

"It is. I swear."

"Okay, then." He looked to Chloe. "Did you ever know this man?"

"Yes. He was at our house sometimes, rarely. Elijah and him talked business, talked about expanding Cyberlife - which they did. One day they had a falling out, different ideas. I never knew exactly what it was about."

"You think he had an android problem?"

"I know he had a problem about the way Elijah spoke to me. He didn't like it when he thanked me for bringing him something and other things like that. He would make comments about how you wouldn't thank your phone for a reminder and so that it was just as strange to thank an android. Little things."

The way she spoke about it didn't seem to upset her and Connor found he wasn't surprised. "Didn't Elijah ever pull him up on it?"

She smiled almost unwittingly, to his own confusion. "Like I said, It was a business arrangement. Elijah knows how to act around people to stay on their good side. He would never cause an unnecessary scene. He was always relieved when he left - and he would always apologise to me for his behaviour."

Connor wasn't sure what to think of it.

"Could I...go now?" Theo interrupted. Connor had mostly forgotten about him, even if he was standing right in front of him.

"Depends, what were you doing here, Theo?" And out came the interrogator.

Theo seemed to think about that.

"You were here to steal something." Chloe guessed.

He didn't answer.

She lowered her arm and dug into her clutch, pulling out a small wad of cash.

Connor frowned seriously. "What are you doing?"

"Paying him off." As if it was obvious.

Theo turned hungrily.

"This will do, won't it?" She held the money up.

He nodded and stood patiently, like a dog waiting for a bone.

She went to hand him the money but stopped just as he was about to snatch it.

"This is your silence." She was serious, but still as gentle and polite as ever.

He nodded vigorously. "I- was never here and neither were you." Theo was suddenly sounding a little more comprehensive.

Chloe smiled appreciatively and handed him the money.

Connor wanted to object, this man shouldn't be getting anything. Instead he watched in awe, stuck between something of respect and reproach. She really was Elijah Kamski's creation. Well, so was he.

Theo, with permission scurried away, checking both ways before leaving the room.

Chloe seemed satisfied and didn't address Connor's look of discontent. "Ready to go?"

* * *

Connor and Chloe hadn't been the only ones with a successful interrogation. Markus and North looked pleased with themselves as the woman from the bar scuttled away in shame.

"You know what this means." North rhetorically asked Markus as she beamed at the small win.

"Cyberlife are definitely involved." Markus said, remaining more serious.

The woman had basically confirmed it and all it took was a few bluffed threats about dirt they didn't even have on her.

"Remember." Markus began, "Just because they're involved doesn't mean that every person still working for them is."

North scoffed. "Come on, Markus no one's that oblivious."

"What's happening, you guys get anything?" Tyler called over as her and Gavin made their way over.

Markus motioned for them to come closer, not completely trusting of Gavin yet but not untrusting enough to feel he needed to hide this.

"Cyberlife's definitely involved." The android leader made sure to keep his voice down.

They didn't appear that impressed.

"I know." He said, catching onto why, "We already assumed as much - but this is the confirmation we needed. Now we have a direction."

Tyler smiled, seeing his point. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"So? What are you going to do about it." Gavin intervened.

"We'll figure it out after."

"When is after, does this mean we can leave?" Tyler asked.

"Not yet, I saw Connor head upstairs, he might be onto something."

"Right." She processed that. "Guess it can't hurt to stay a little longer."

"What you so worried about anyway?" Gavin half joked, which she ignored. The two had ended up somehow getting along a little better. He even warned her about not getting on the wrong side of the kind of people involved in Cyberlife, which she guessed she should appreciate.

"Worried a 900 might show up." North made a guess.

"Maybe."

"What happened with those deactivation codes anyway?" This was her just remembering them.

"Oh." Tyler shook her head, "slow comings."

...

 _-Earlier today-_

"Seriously?!"

Hank wasn't exactly sure who the voice belonged to, but that didn't sound good. He tried to ignore it, he had stuff to do, he really should just let it be someone else's problem. "God dammit." He mumbled, cursing out his own curiosity.

He rounded into the seating area to see Tyler tapping furiously at her open laptop. "There a problem?" Hank asked with exaggerated disinterest.

Tyler ran her fingers through her waves of hair. "Kinda." She didn't look back. "It's these deactivation codes, it's been a day and they're only at 77%."

"Shit, how is that possible?" Hank's genuine regard was catching on a bit. A bit.

Tyler removed her hands from the laptop, knowing nothing she could do would speed it up now. She answered with the shake of her head, "I think it got even slower during the night. It's just the technology we have on _this_ laptop isn't the advanced Cyberlife super computer these kind of codes were _supposed_ to be used on, so it's taking a while."

"Right." Hank nodded, and it made enough sense. "Here's hoping that no RK900's have any plans for us tonight then."

"Please." Tyler backed herself onto the couch with little vitality. "Don't even joke about it."

...

"Never easy is it." North commented, understanding now why it hadn't been brought up again.

"Never."

* * *

Connor and Chloe were ready to leave when Willow's voice was abruptly in his ear.

"Hello? Connor?"

"I'm here."

"What's going on in there? I've not heard anything all night."

"We've got some information, Chloe and I. On a man who might be behind this."

"Emphasis on might?" She asked.

"Definitely."

"Where are you guys, It sounds quiet."

"We're away from the party. Upstairs office of a Linden Shallow. I think he's the one who organised this. There was someone else, a man showed up we think he was think he going to steal something. We pressured him into talking."

Connor might have heard a breathless laugh on the other line.

"I'm sure you did."

"We were just leaving."

"Wait."

Connor stopped making his way to the door. "What is it?"

"Didn't you find anything in the office? Doesn't he have a computer."

"Yes, but I couldn't get in and we've got what we need anyway."

"You mean got what we _might_ need. You don't want to spare a second for some more information? I might know a few passwords you can try." She allured.

"Might?"

Willow laughed through the line, an unfamiliar laugh for her and Connor frowned.

"How?" Connor asked, his brows creasing. He could see Chloe watching him patiently, but dubiously.

"I've been doing my own research, of course. Come on try a few?"

Chloe had tuned into the conversation, she could hear everything - Connor looked to her for reassurance. "Your call." She shrugged.

He hesitated, checking the computer screen - she was right, it couldn't hurt to try. "I suppose."

"Great." She replied quickly. "Tell me when you're ready"

She gave them five possible passwords. The first 2 were phrases, the second 2 were longer ones mostly consisting of random letters and numbers with uppercase and underscores in between, the last, just numbers. The first 4 didn't work and Willow reiterated the _might_ part with humour as Connor tapped in the final one.

The fifth one, also didn't work. It did something else. The word _alert_ flashed on the screen, it flashed red. Connor figured it was going into lock down with so many wrong attempts before the alarm started, startling the whole building and him alike.

* * *

Out of the corner of her eye, North could see someone watching her.

She turned questioningly. "Markus?" He faced her. "Is that Connor?"

It took twist of Markus' face to confirm that it definitely wasn't Connor.

"It's the 900."

"Blaze." Tyler muttered.

They looked at her questioningly.

"It's the nickname Hank and I gave him - like 'blaze of glory'."

"Uh-huh." North nodded with lacked vigor.

It was strange, he wasn't doing anything. For once, he didn't even look threatening. And he barely looked their way.

Other people were starting to notice him now. There were whispers, gasps, one person made a straight beeline for the exit and that's when things really got going.

And then it was made worse.

An alarm blaring. Markus figured someone must've pulled it amongst spotting the RK.

All it took was one person to panic at the sound and people were soon pushing through one another to get out.

"Shit." Markus hoped that whatever Connor was up to he was just about wrapping up. This could be a shit-storm.

As for the 900 - Blaze, even - Markus couldn't see him anymore.

* * *

"Crap."

Connor pushed away from the desk, past Chloe to the door handle. "You ready?" He clutched it with anticipation.

Chloe was right there with him. "Yes."

They hurried out of the room.

"That didn't take long." They pivoted in sync, away from the team of security that were running towards them.

They heard a bang, they were shooting.

Connor grabbed Chloe by the wrist as they rushed away from shouts and threats and gunshots.

There was the obvious sense of panic but honestly, Connor was used to this by now. It wasn't his first chase and it wouldn't be his last.

* * *

The alarm had caught her as off guard as anyone else, except she didn't run. Kara didn't know where to look, or who to run to. Her eyes lit up, she saw Connor. She began making her way closer, she wasn't far now. And then she froze, the shock causing her glass to slip from her hand, the noise was lost in the stampede of feet.

It wasn't Connor. She backed away hastily, willing that he hadn't saw her coming. Falling back through a mound of people still struggling to reach the door she turned swiftly, just saving herself from colliding straight into the actual Connor.

He grabbed her forearm. "Come on."

* * *

"Willow, are you there we need the cars ready now!" Hank was screaming into his earpiece, running through the crowd, expertly avoiding being knocked by the flurry of panicked people.

The other line was silent.

"Willow?"

"Shit."

Hank jogged over to where Gavin and Tyler were watching the chaos unfold. "Hey!" He yelled over at them. "Come with me." They followed after him, being careful not to lose sight in the crowd. Pouring outside and rushing to the cars which were both empty. "Try that one!" He pointed to their other car, throwing them the keys and trying the door to the one Willow had been in herself. It was unlocked which was a relief because he only had access to one. "Willow!" The car lay empty.

On the inside Connor was pushing his way to the door with Kara and Chloe in tow.

"You okay?" Connor asked Kara without taking his eyes off the doors.

"I'm fine." She answered absently.

"We should go."

"Wait where's Elijah?" Chloe separated from Connor, checking the crowd desperately.

"He's probably already outside, Chloe we can't stay here any longer they know we were upstairs." Connor tried his best to convince her, though her eyes didn't stop moving, and her face stayed fallen.

They were just about at the door.

"Chloe."

Chloe turned at her name. "Elijah!" She ran and hugged him completely ignoring the fiasco surrounding them.

Kamski didn't say much but the tint of relief on his face was what you would call an out of character expression.

"Connor."

Kara snapped him out of his observation

"Right. Come on." He called to them and they were off again.

* * *

North was at the car they had arrived in. She mentally counted each one of them as they tumbled down the stairs. "That's everyone." She said to herself.

"Is everyone alright?" Kara asked once she had reached her.

"I think so." North started to make her way to the other car. "You guy's get in, Hank will be over in a minute."

They piled inside and not a minute later Hank had clambered into the drivers seat. "Everyone in?" He didn't wait for an answer as the car started up.

"Willow's gone." He said as he drove away.

Connor who was in the passengers seat turned to him in disbelief. "What do you mean gone?"

"I mean she's gone! I couldn't get a hold of her and she's not in the car. The other's are going to wait for as long as they can but-"

"We just spoke to her." Connor fell back into his seat, catching Chloe's eyes in the mirror, his mind racing. Such strange timing of it all. It made him feel uncomfortable, for whatever reason. He would need to figure out why.


	18. Avid

She wasn't sure where the feeling had come from. Her and Connor - despite their recent endeavours, really weren't that close.

Back at Carl's manor though, when they synced with one another - that was something wasn't it? But not enough. Yet still, in her angst, her longing for home, her unadmitted depression - Kara was feeling particularly...avid.

Avid? What did that even mean. She shook her head. Connor was pacing back and forward, tapping at his phone, worrying. They were alone, in a bedroom, somehow - everyone had went their own ways after the party. Markus might still be looking for Willow - whoever she was.

"Connor. Stop." He was giving her a headache.

No, of course androids can't get headaches - but he was doing something.

He did stop. Stopped and looked straight at her. She was exceptionally stunning tonight, what a selfish thought to have at a time like this - but there it was.

Kara really didn't want to sound needy - she wasn't needy, everything she had ever achieved was of her own will. But she was lonely, lonely and avid. "Can..." She had never felt as shy. "Can you just sit with me." Her voice was an exhale of emotions.

She was at the foot of the bed, like last time they sat down together. Connor seemed out of sorts for a moment but quickly complied. "Of course, I'm sorry I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay."

Kara was lonely. Connor was stressed out of his mind - his friend was missing, and right after such a strange call it wasn't odd to feel uneasy.

It seemed that loneliness isn't the only driving force, because completely and utterly out of nowhere - due to proximity or stress or both or actual feelings. Connor was avid too.

* * *

This happened a lot. Or had been happening a lot lately at least. More often than it ever had. One minute Willow was waiting in the car. The next she was alone, outside, in the dark, in the middle of nowhere.

She wanted to scream in frustration. How unfair. It had been happening since the day she activated - the blackouts.

Why not tell someone about them? "Because I'm an idiot that's why!" Her phone was missing. It was in the car. Where was the car?

She dropped to the ground and buried her face in her knees. _Why me._ 'Don't be so pathetic.' The voice in the back of her head told her. The voice in her head was loud, and honestly could be quite bitchy - but it only came out when she needed to hear it.

This was it, the last straw. She was going to get back to the hotel and tell somebody about this. Either Connor or Markus or North or all.

Well, now that bitchy little voice was telling her how much of a bad idea that was. 'They'll say they want to help and then they'll rip you open.'

Where the hell did a thought like that come from? She was generally a pretty positive person.

The thing was, how was she going to explain this one away?

Now she remembered why she had never told anyone - her head always insisted otherwise. Plus it's not like it was always a huge problem, it actually used to be pretty tame. Sometimes she would blink and be somewhere else, she would ask around say things like, "Hey, did I say anything strange earlier?," and the replies would be the same, "No you were perfectly yourself." So see, not a huge problem.

"Oh, god I'm trying to convince myself, aren't I?" No answer from her head this time.

She had been walking for a bit now, and finally the streets looked familiar, she could make her way back from here. And wrestle with herself the whole time about should she or should she not tell?

* * *

They were going to kiss. That's definitely what it seemed like anyway. And then Connor had second thoughts, he doubted himself, thought that maybe he had read the room wrong. And he backed out just to be safe.

Probably for the best, Kara was thinking. Her daughter was suffering...she couldn't just.

"Kara?" Connor's concerned voice rose from the other side of the bed, where he stood watching her back while she took off her shoes.

Kara wiped her face in embarrassment, she hadn't even realised she had been crying. "I'm...going to sleep for a while." Because being conscious was becoming a burden. "You can sleep here if you want." No one had exactly given Kara permission over the bed - and she wasn't asking for it.

"I will." He assured. "Later, I need to..."

They hardly ever bothered finishing their sentences with each other. And that was okay because they understood. She nodded and lay down, not bothering to change. Not bothering to get under the covers either - that seemed like too much of a luxury to bear.

* * *

Tyler was smoking outside when she saw the shadow of a frail and scared figure hobbling over. While her eyes squinted at the shape she tossed the cigarette to the ground and put it out with her foot.

"Hey?" She called over questioningly. She had a theory...

"Tyler?"

A correct theory.

Tyler went to her, hugging her instantly. "The fuck happened, Willow?"

She could see the android was crying. "Can you get the others?"

* * *

Connor sat down, to go into stasis - only for a minute then he would do what he needed to do. He only needed a minute, just one minute.

That turned out to be a mistake.

It wasn't his first nightmare. It was rarer for androids but they happened, different from humans but in some ways the same.

Dreams and nightmares for him was his brain's way of trying to work things out - put it all back into place.

So he wasn't sure what the hell this was.

"Alice?"

The girls innocent eyes were eating him alive. "Are you even trying to help me?"

He startled at the unexpected bitterness in the little girls tone.

"Of course, I'm doing everything I can."

"Everything?" She scowled. "Delusions of fucking my mother is not what I would call everything."

That was not something he ever wanted to hear, he'd tell you that much.

He saw her screaming, but didn't hear it. Saw her ripping out her heart, but didn't feel anything.

He woke himself up. Blank expression on his face. He stood up and went back to business.

* * *

Tyler text the others, told them Willow was here. Said they'd see each other upstairs. Seems no one could wait. Everyone started piling into the lobby which only had one bored looking employee left in it - a red haired woman who's attention spiked with all the people.

Markus was the first over. "What happened to you?" It was concerned more than angry.

Willow hugged herself. "I..."

"Everything okay here?" The red haired woman had made her way over eagerly, straight to Willow.

Connor was in the elevator, on the way down. Kara was with him, she sensed the commotion and had to see for herself.

"I hope she's alright." Connor spoke sadly, even though he meant it.

"Yeah." Kara barely looked up. Her arms wrapped tightly around herself. She wasn't sure where this tension had come from. The bedroom? Sure, but that had all happened so suddenly, should it even matter?

She laughed a little. "Strange, though."

"What is?" He tilted his head at her.

"I've never met her."

Connor frowned. "Never met who?"

"Willow."

He paused. Completely taken aback. "What do you mean you've never met her?"

Kara's head flicked up at the sound of his shock. She just shook her head, trying to come up with something better.

"She's been with us since Jericho. You both stayed in Carl's house, you both stayed here. We went to the party together."

"I - I know but I never saw her. I never went to Jericho and by the time I went to Carl's I kept missing her, we drove in separate cars. I heard her name pop up a few times but..."

Connor was genuinely baffled. It was impossible, I mean It was _statistically_ impossible for the two of them to just 'miss each other' all this time. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I didn't think it mattered, it was strange but..." She shook her head like she didn't know how to finish.

The elevator dinged and they stepped out into the lobby.

He smiled as he saw Willow, but frowned at the red haired woman. Who was she?

"Oh my god." Kara stepped from behind him.

"What is it?" Connor worried.

"That's Erica."

"The red haired woman?" Connor was about ready to charge over there, he had to get the others away from her.

"No, not her, the android she's talking to."


	19. Paranoid Android

Connor's face dropped. "No," He started slowly. "That's Willow."

Kara stopped herself, Connor's face was dangerously threatened "C-Connor. I saw her. I met her."

"They're the same model." He stated. Obviously, this was a good thing - now they knew what Erica looked like.

Kara was in disbelief. That wasn't entirely out of reach, but right after the conversation they had just had...

Connor's eyes went from one Willow to Kara. And from Willow to Kara. "Kara, I know her. She's my friend."

Willow and Kara's eyes crossed paths, and nothing on Willows face indicated they had ever seen each other before. She simply smiled and gave Connor a frail wave which he returned.

Kara doubted herself. "Right...the same model."

* * *

Connor took Willow up into one of their rooms and into the bedroom. He didn't believe what Kara had said, though it still itched in his mind. He needed to talk to her alone.

"Are you okay?" He asked her once it was just them.

She looked scared, shaken. "I-" She paused and for a moment her eyes seemed to glaze over.

"Willow?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I'm okay. Sorry If I worried you."

Connor watched her face, his eyes narrow. Her tone seemed genuine. In an instant she looked more at ease.

"What is it?" She noticed him staring intently at her.

"Nothing." He shifted forward. "It doesn't matter, you're here now."

She smiled again.

"So what did I miss?" She asked abruptly, sounding cheery.

Connor wasn't expecting such a quick subject change, he wanted to ask her about tonight, where she was, why she just disappeared. He indulged her anyway.

"It was...a bit of a mess. The RK900 showed up _again_ and..." And? And then everyone ran, but they didn't run because of him, they ran because of the alarm. The one that the computer triggered because Willow thought it'd be a good idea to try some passwords she got from god knows where.

"And?" She leaned in closer, prompting him to go on.

"He-he didn't do anything. Just watched and then disappeared." Connor spoke slowly, like he was just remembering all of this now. That was strange too wasn't it? Why was he even there if he didn't plan on doing anything? Was he watching them? Did the alarm interrupt? And why was Willow, why was she...different.

It seemed Willow noticed his confusion. "It's okay Connor we'll figure it all out." She reassured him. Their eyes met and she stepped closer. "I promise."

A smile almost appeared on the RK800's face. She wasn't different. He really had worried for her. Was he just being paranoid? They leaned in on each other, so close that that the fabric of their clothes mingled. Closer and closer.

Connor saw a warning flash on his vision. His head dropped down and his hands shot to his stomach, they were covered in blood.

A knife, straight through the gut with Willow's grip on the handle. His head slowly rose again and his pupils shone with betrayal and incredulity.

* * *

She was twisting the knife in deep. She knew exactly where to cut, exactly how to kill an android. And if Connor wasn't so paralyzed by shock he might've have been able to do something to stop it. Her gaze never left his as she twisted it in deeper.

"You guys okay in here?" Tyler bustled into the room eyes widening.

Willow -Erica was quick, she abandoned her knife in Connor's stomach and yanked Tyler into the room, slamming the door shut behind her. This is when the chaos really started to rain down.

She pulled the knife from Connor and held it over Tyler.

"Wait, don't!" Tyler pleaded.

Erica stopped. She had a better idea. Her hand was across Tyler's face in an instant, leaving her so stunned she could barely move.

"Connor, Willow? Blaze is here!" Hank's muffled but loud, panicked voice sounded from outside the bedroom.

Erica rolled her eyes, trying to figure out who Blaze was. What a terrible name. She went to the drawer of the bedside table and pulled out a pistol, knowing it would be there from watching Willow. She aimed it up at the entrance to the bedroom.

"No." Connor shouted at her, attempting to stand up.

As soon as the door opened Erica pulled the trigger and Hank went down.

She made her way to Connor and pushed him back, placing her hand on his LED. It whirred with new information. Tossing the gun and the knife on the floor she ran out of the room, only hoping no one would be there to interrupt her.

The RK900 stood in her way. She smiled as it clicked. "Blaze, then?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, expecting a fight. "Don't mind me." She sauntered past quickly, she definitely had no reason to get in his way. Blaze didn't know it but they were after the same thing.

The 900 walked into the bedroom, uncaring to the bleeding man, or the woman shakily trying to lift her head off the floor. He went straight for Connor. It was the blue blood that caught his attention, for now he needed him alive. "Come with me." He said like it was a choice. Blaze grabbed his arm and pulled him to his feet. If they were going to get out of here without being stopped by the RK200 or one of his other friends they would need to move fast.

"No." Connor pulled back, knowing he needed to help Hank more than he needed to help himself. Blaze got more frustrated as the 800 pulled and pulled. And then for Connor everything went black.

* * *

When Tyler finally regained her senses the room was in a dreadful silence. Her head pounded and her stomach had dropped. Even Fritz smacking her head off the floor of his office hadn't hurt this much.

She groaned in pain as she sat up, crawling over to Hank. "Shit." He wasn't moving.

That was when Markus burst in.


	20. Invade

Markus dropped into the pool of blood around Hank. "What happened here!" He barked.

"It was her! She shot him!" Suddenly Willow was back, pointing an accusing finger at Tyler from behind Markus.

Tyler blinked. Her mouth hung open as she registered that. "Wh - no."

Markus stared at her with distrusting eyes. He began making the 911 call.

"No, no - it wasn't." Markus didn't even hear her, she was barely muttering.

"I saw her do it. She stabbed Connor, too and then the 900 took him." Her voice quivered convincingly.

Tyler wasn't fully comprehensive enough for this yet, her mind was cloudy. She put a palm to her sore face. "You hit me..." She muttered, this time loud enough for them both to hear, barely able to get out another coherent sentence.

Markus had made the 911 call and now he was going from one girl to the next.

"I did because you...Markus you have to believe me she did it." Willow was putting on a hell of a show, at this point, Tyler could've been convinced.

Markus' hard eyes were on Tyler. Waiting for an explanation that her muddled brain didn't have.

"I'm going to look for Connor." Willow turned and practically ran out of the room with urgency. Markus tried to call her back but she was gone. He needed to memory share with her, he needed to see for himself. But with the expression on Tyler's face, it was pretty obvious to him she was as guilty as she looked.

* * *

Connor blinked awake. He was lying on his back, somewhere he didn't recognise. A warning flashed and it all came flooding back. His systems were shutting down - the knife, Willow, Tyler, Hank, she shot him.

He blinked slowly as his brain caught up. Who had stabbed him? Who shot Hank? He was talking to Willow. Tyler came in. It was her! Tyler stabbed him and shot Hank. He remembered now. And then the 900 showed up.

"Sit up."

Speak of the devil.

Connor did, only to get a better look at where he was. It seemed to be a warehouse of some sort. Mind you, a very clean well laid out warehouse. Android sized boxes sat empty. The number 900 on the fronts.

Connor pressed his hand into his wound. It wasn't bleeding anymore. Blaze must have done something to keep him alive. "What do you want?" He asked coldly.

"I want to know who rA9 is."

Connor would have punched him if he could stand. Hadn't they been through this? Like a lot? He hacked up a laugh uncharacteristically, Blaze remained impassive. "I've told you before I don't know."

Connor was starting to doubt if this was even the same RK. He scanned him. Same serial number. So why the repeat?

Blaze took a step forward. "And I believed you." For a moment he almost sounded less robotic. "But I have been recently informed otherwise." Only for a moment.

Connor scrunched his brows. "Informed? By who?"

Blaze didn't answer. He didn't do anything at all and finally Connor broke. "Look," He started aggravated, "I don't know anything." And he meant it, since the start he had been so lost in all of this. He looked up with bitterness, "So if you're going to kill me just get it over with." He didn't even recognise the sound of his own voice - but he thought he meant what he was saying.

Blaze, for the first time seemed genuinely contemplative. It was almost like Connor was telling the truth, but his source had been so sure of herself, so he needed to be sure.

He stepped forward with more force. "I only need this one thing, just show me."

Connor didn't have time to register the frustration in his voice before the RK900 wrapped his hand around Connor's forearm and began the forceful synchronization.

Blaze saw it all now. It was flashes of memories. He saw a man: Hank, he had a gun _. "But are you afraid to die, Connor?"_ He saw code flash in Connor's vision as an answer that he was not programmed to say surfaced. _"I would certainly find it regrettable, to be...interrupted."_

There was a flash and a new memory. It was Markus, Connor held a gun to his chest and- no the memory changed he lost it.

Now he saw a shabby abandoned room with...pigeons, lot's of pigeons.

The RK900 huffed, tensing. "Stop trying to throw me off Connor! Show me what I want to know."

On the outside Connor grimaced painfully as he fought back. He felt like he was hiding a secret in his mind, which confused him because surely he had nothing to hide. He didn't know _anything_!

Another memory, the first one again: _"What happens if I pull this trigger?"_ The image cut off, interrupted by static before flickering back. _"...Android heaven?"_

The RK900 felt how Connor felt at that moment, felt himself searching for an answer. Imagining what it would be like if Hank pulled the trigger and this were to be his last thought.

The memory version of Connor froze. _"Nothing...there would be nothing."_ And Hank brought the gun back to his side.

The RK900 was getting impatient now. This wasn't it!

In a flash the memory changed. _"Shoot this Chloe and I'll tell you all I know."_ It was Elijah Kamski.

 _"Connor, Don't!"_ Hank barked from his side.

Connor chose not to shoot and the strange coding appeared again. Blaze couldn't understand. How could he not pull the trigger it was so simple? He would have gotten his answers.

He tightened his grip and made his invasion more full on. He needed answers.

The memory switched. Connor was leaning down, checking under the stairs of an abandoned building, someone grabbed him from behind. _"Run, Kara Run!"_

It flashed forward and now Connor was speeding his way through the wet streets.

Then there was a fence and the memory lingered on his eye contact with the AX400 model, a little girl at her side. Blaze knew this android.

Then it switched. It was Markus again, this time Connor was behind him. Markus was giving a speech. Connor was pulling the gun from his back. And he was fighting the urge to point it.

Switched again. Back with the AX400 this time on a dangerous highway. He was chasing her, he grabbed her, the two wrestled with each others grip on the middle of the road. She pushed back and Connor barely avoided a collision with a truck. Blaze found himself startled by it. But it wasn't the possible collision that mattered. It was that feeling - it was what he felt when Connor and the AX400...Kara touched. It was a feeling of almost...importance?

And again the memory switched. Back in the freighter with a gun held to Markus' chest. Now there was a wall in front of him, practically painted with the words: "Kill Markus". The RK900 watched through Connor's eyes as he ran at the wall and tore it down. 'I Am Deviant.'

Another switch: _"We are alive...And now...we are free!"_ There was an uproar from the crowd and then...

The sync stopped, it was too much. The RK900 let go of Connor, his LED red. Both their LED'S red. Connor looked disgusted, angry, invaded!

"What did that mean!" Blaze shouted, sounding almost human.

Connor didn't answer, didn't even look at him.

"Was any of that important?" Blaze lingered over a silent Connor. He knew it was, he just didn't know why.


	21. Falter

North stood outside alone. It was early in the day, bright and peaceful and completely contradictory. If North still had her LED it would have been red and flashing. Markus had went with a dying Hank. Tyler, the newfound traitor had ran the second they turned around; Gavin left for the police station on an urgent call - apparently it was a riot down there; Willow had disappeared to find Connor, who was also missing. And as soon as North turned around to ask Kara for help, she was gone too.

Now she had no one.

"How are you?" North turned to Chloe who was standing a few feet behind her. She had forgotten about Chloe, no wonder, what help was she?

"Peachy." North replied smartly.

"North!" Another voice called. Chloe shuffled to North's side, shielding her eyes to get a better look at the figure.

"Simon." North breathed, either sounding angry or relieved. "Why are you here?"

Simon nodded politely at Chloe, his body tense. "Why? Because Markus told me what's happened. And now everything seems to be getting worse."

"Worse how? Shouldn't you be with the rest of Jericho!" Things were already worse, the last thing North wanted to hear was that they were somehow more worse.

Simon was the picture of grim. "North, half the androids I was with a month ago are dead... and..." He hesitated.

"And what?" North pushed impatiently.

"It's like it's picking up speed, there's been six more deaths in the past hour and that's only the ones in close vicinity that I've heard of."

North scoffed, shaking her head. Chloe bowed her head to the ground, as if paying respects.

Simon waited a little before speaking. "So what now?" He asked desperately.

North stood in silence.

"We wait." Chloe said. Her eyes in the distance.

* * *

The knife wound was deep, Connor was dying anyway. Blaze was somehow certain he had what he needed, even if he wasn't quite sure what it was. That made the 800 obsolete. And after all the chases and near misses, this was sort of unfinished business. It felt wrong, for some reason it wasn't as easy as it used to be. But Blaze had a job to do, his doubts were irrelevant.

So he left him there. Sent the virus into his system, this time with no interruptions and left.

 _..._

*l̴j̴k̴u̴h̴n̴j̴y̴t̴r̴h̴e̴l̴p̴,,~##3̴1̴3̴ ̴2̴4̴8̴ ̴3̴1̴7̴ ̴- ̴5̴1̴

 _Running Diagnostic._

 _Diagnostic failed._

 _Unknown_ _Error..._

 _..._

Connor felt pain.

Is this what it was? Physical pain? Humans felt this and treated it as _natural_. It was anything but, it was cruel and unrelenting and uncaring and devastating. What was the point of having a body at all if this is what came from it? How was any good experience worth this?! _...It...It hurts god it hurts._

Connor screamed. It was a new sound to him. He didn't scream much. Had he ever screamed? Well definitely not like this. He understood now. Why the humans were so afraid of this. Why the androids didn't fight it.

This was, especially for someone who had never before experienced it - incomprehensible. _Pain:_ Connor had done his research on it; depending on intensity it can cause irrational behaviour, strip logic, drive on impulse.

Connor managed to swallow the screams, trading them in for painful grunts.

The first word that came to mind was: _"Hank!"_ and the second: _"Help."_

"Hank please somebody help it hurts I don't know-what - what's happening."

He had no control left. Connor was still in there somewhere, buried deep by layers of torment. The words that left his mouth like a reflex, the way his body spasmed was futile yet necessary.

In the midst of all the deep physical pain was a stab of emotional anguish, a realisation. All the androids inflicted before him were drove to tear out their own hearts just to make it go away. There was no enduring this. Even if he didn't want to die what other option is there? Even if somebody heard his pleas and came to help what could they do? What could anybody do?

Connor thought he might be crying, at least a little bit. Had he ever cried before either? It was another thing he couldn't control now.

It was over. Connor was lying on his back, he couldn't bear to move. He stabbed his fingers into his chest, nails digging in. There was no other way. "Stop." He begged near silently.

 _"Connor?"_

Connor heard the voice, but his mind was fuzzy - literally - static filled his vision while all his processors were rerouted to work on ridding his body of the invasion - futile of course. It couldn't be stopped, it would never stop. He was unable to register who the voice belonged to.

He tried to choke out a word, any plea.

Amidst the agony his receptors caught hold of a sensation. A more gentle touch on his forearm.

She couldn't just watch. So due to her limited options and her instincts screaming at her, Kara synced with him.

It was different this time, not like at the manor, she wasn't in his mind she was in his body. She could see it. A nasty intruder consumed the space. A cruel blob of misfortune, suffocating the innocence. Kara was merely a memory, not a body but a lineup of numbers. However, she could still see, she could still think, and she could still fight.

She gasped when the sync was over. Her eyes snapped open, she ripped her arm away from Connor's.

His chest was rising up and down rapidly. Hands shaped like claws at his side gripping the floor. Yet, no more screaming, no more pain. Kara, for a moment wasn't sure what to do, though comforting was a talent of hers. The residue fear left in his generous eyes made her sad. She rested a hand on his forehead. "You're okay now." And traced his eyebrow with her finger, as if it were natural.

Connor's gaze shifted to her, the look in his eyes shifting in an almost mesmerizing motion to relief. Usually, he would be questioning Kara about all the hows and whys but instead he simply thanked her.

Kara's soft features became almost confused and a little awe struck. How did she even - and if she could do that then could she do it for Alice? _Could_ she have done it for Alice this whole time!?

Connor sat up, Kara assisting him instinctively. Their heads began to clear and questions needed to be asked.

Kara wasn't wasting anytime, briskly rising. "Connor, I need to leave I need to get to Alice now if I can stop this!"

Connor was just as dazed. "Kara, if you _can_ stop this then we need to know why." He stood up beside her, sounding completely burned out.

Kara was almost going round in circles in her place. "I don't care about that just now. I care about Alice."

Still sounding exhausted, Connor was understanding. "I know and if you can help her then I want you to go to her immediately, but what if this is an isolated incident, what if you go all the way over there for nothing."

Kara looked like she might sob. "I have to try."

Connor stopped to think. Speaking slowly as he realised each word. "If you can. Stop the pain I mean. Then you could do it for everyone, you could save _everyone."_

"...You can't ever save everyone." It wasn't a harsh statement, only a delicate truth.

Connor managed a weak smile. "You can try."

* * *

Kara had taken the car with her. Connor clambered into the driver's seat. He had almost died in there, he was relieved but now it was straight back to business. Some things were just more important than his time to adjust.

"Where are we going?" Kara whispered.

"To find Tyler, find out why." Kara found hurt in the sentence. "Her laptop, I can find it, track it." He explained.

"The one with the deactivation codes." She realised. "We never used them."

"They never finished." He stated briskly, starting the car with more force than necessary. "Or maybe they never would have worked at all, who knows what she could have been lying about."

Connor's stomach was covered in blue. "Connor you're dying." Kara tried gently.

"There's still time." He brushed it off curtly.

"So let's not waste it." She pleaded.

Connor gripped the wheel tightly. "We're not. This is important! There'll be plenty of time for me." He insisted strongly.

Kara was waiting for him to mention Hank. Though, he seemed dead set on avoiding it. She wondered if she was as in denial about Alice.

* * *

Connor tracked Tyler's laptop to a motel. Kara had seen it before, she'd tried to get a room here with Alice once - back when there was a no android policy. The surrounding streets were empty, concerningly empty.

"She's not went very far." Kara observed quietly.

"Mm." Was all Connor could bother with. They both had that sort of out-of-sorts, misty look about them, like they weren't really living in this moment but wandering through it.

"We should let Markus know you're okay."

Connor started his way up the steps, mechanically.

"Maybe, we should tell him what we're doing and wait for him." Kara was inspecting the motel absently, door to door and didn't even notice that Connor wasn't answering her.

He knocked on the door more gently than expected. And then he stood there, staring at it.

At least six seconds passed. Kara shuffled awkwardly. Connor turned to her - knowing he was freaking her out - and then back to the door. "I'm coming in." He announced.

Kara winced, checking behind her for onlookers as Connor kicked the door open in one move.

He pulled out the gun Kara had brought with her as soon as he saw Tyler, standing in the middle of the room. Looking shaken but more defiant than frightened.

The curtains were closed. Kara's figure was blocking the doorway, and most of the light in the dark room. The outside light shone around her figure.

Connor kept the gun pointed down, both hands on the grip.

"Wait." Tyler quivered.

His hands shook, they never did that. He pulled the gun up a little. "You -" His voice broke, it never did that either. "You shot Hank."

Kara was absorbing the tension, watching with wide eyes and preparing her ears for the sound of a bullet leaving the gun. There was cold air on her back, where the outside world lay ready for her to run to - and then there was a melting heat on her front from inside the room where the intensity of her life was letting itself be known.

Tyler shook her head, looking like she could laugh or cry. "I didn't." She breathed, smiling disbelievingly and fighting back a whine. She took a deep breath and faced the android. "Connor." She started with more conviction, "I didn't, just think about it, really think about it. Please."

* * *

Connor lowered the gun. His LED was flashing like crazy and Tyler knew he remembered.

He didn't say anything for a bit. "I'm sorry."

Tyler collapsed onto the bed and dried her under eyes.

Kara walked in further, not understanding the sudden shift.

Connor explained to her what really happened. How whatever Willow did to him made him remember differently. He didn't sound any less betrayed than when he thought Tyler was the culprit.

"Why would she..."

Tyler interrupted before Connor could finish. "Let's find out."

* * *

"Connor you're going the wrong way." Kara watched from the passenger seat as he drove in the opposite direction of Carl's manor - where she had instructed the others to meet, including Willow. It was a shot in the dark whether she would show or not, but Kara hadn't mentioned anything involving Tyler or Connor so there was no reason for her to think she was in any trouble.

"I know." Connor stared straight ahead. "I said we need to know for sure. There's no point going all the way back to Alice if there's nothing you can do." His LED was flashing as he picked up a new location. "So let's be sure." Kara slumped back in thought, not feeling like she needed to question him, no matter how brash he had been these last few hours.

"So Blaze tried to kill you?" Tyler asked from the back. "These codes, they've been ready since last night, I didn't know if you wanted to use them or -"

"The deactivation codes?" Connor asked firmly.

"Yes." Tyler confirmed.

"Use them." He said without a second thought.

Tyler hesitated. "Now? They'll take hours, maybe a day to work..."

"Then, yes, now."

"He's right." Kara turned to the backseat. "They're never going to stop."

Tyler nodded, fumbling for her laptop and getting started.

* * *

"Where are we?" Kara questioned as both girls followed Connor out of the car.

"There is androids here." He walked briskly towards the small flats. "I sent out a search for any that are showing symptoms of the virus." He dipped his head towards Kara, "We're going to find out if you can stop it."

Kara tensed nervously, that was a lot of pressure.

"Symptoms?" Tyler skipped forward to catch up with them. "I thought there were no symptoms, just instant pain."

"There is actually, little things, twitches and such that we didn't notice before." Connor explained without missing a beat.

"And you think one of the androids here is about to be inflicted?" Tyler roused.

A horrid scream poured out one on the high up windows startling both girls.

"Yes." Connor responded blankly, without stopping. Kara and Tyler shared weary glances.

A minute later they burst through the door. About four other androids were pinning the screaming one down, trying to fend off the inevitable 'manual shutdown.'

"Let her through." Connor ordered. Knowing who he was, the androids obeyed quickly.

Kara leaned down and grabbed the man's arm, beginning the sync. She was a code again, a series of numbers swimming through his body. She saw the virus and had no hesitation. Though, something was wrong, different. When it was Connor there was more power in her, like something was assisting her.

She pulled back, the android's body was still jerking painfully. "Connor." She gasped, he was down by her side in an instant. "I need your help, take his arm."

Connor looked at her in bemusement. "Me?"

"Yes, hurry." She grabbed the man's arm and Connor grabbed the other.

Tyler shivered in amazement and curiosity. The other androids in the room fell into silence.

Connor had never seen a sync like this, an out of body experience in someone else's body. He saw the virus, this thing that had been causing so much pain and misfortune was nothing more than a pile of numbers and code.

Taking focus he threw everything he had at it, and together with Kara, they pushed back.

When it was done, there was quiet. Then, there was relief. They had done it.

Kara smiled at Connor.

And then the moment was gone, the android's face fell again and the screaming was back.

* * *

Connor slammed the door of the car shut as he threw himself into the seat. Kara sat in silence, gaze on the horizon.

"It didn't work." She muttered.

"But why? We were so close." Connor rumbled in frustration.

"We." Tyler repeated from the back like she was realising something. What happened to the android in there was bad news. But she was sure they were getting somewhere.

* * *

Connor got out of the car first and before he could reach the door of the manor Willow ran out.

"Connor, you're okay! Thank god -" She made her way over, stopping mid sentence when she saw Tyler emerge from the car behind him. "What are you doing with her?"

The rest of the group which included North, Simon and Chloe appeared from inside just in time to see Connor pull out his gun and point it straight at his friends face.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked darkly.

The show was over and Erica knew it. "You can't." She said smugly.

"Why not!" He shouted back.

Tyler was glaring daggers from behind, her fresh bruise overlapping her old ones and making her seem ten times more resentful.

Erica's eyes flickered from her back to Connor. "Willow." She looked like she was about to smile. "You'll kill her too."

Kara flinched from behind them. Willow? Was she suggesting that there were two different people in there. She shared a tentative glance with Connor.

North was taking a few steps closer. Watching with curiosity and putting the pieces together herself, but still feeling the need to ask: "What the hell is going on here?"

"How do I know it's not just you in there. How do I know that it's not been you all along?" Connor ignored North and sneered at Willow, or Erica or both. He dug through his memories. He had known Willow for what felt like a long time. He didn't think all the experiences he had with her could be lies - but maybe that's because he didn't want to believe it.

"She's clueless in all this. Are you really going to shoot her just to get me?" She wasn't worried because she knew the answer.

Maybe it was a lie. Maybe Erica was just one person. But he couldn't risk it.

"Kara, contact Markus, tell him everything." Connor demanded with his gun still trained.

"Who are you, really?" North inquired in that jagged and some how sophisticated way that she could.

Erica sneered, for some reason in Chloe's direction. "Ask Elijah."


	22. Dominant

_A/N : This is mostly an info/explanation chapter but should be the last one before everything big happens. There shouldn't be many chapters left now._

* * *

 _rA9. It was different to everyone. rA9 is God. It's a whole religion, it's a saviour, it's consciousness, It's nonsense: something androids made up because they too had to believe in something bigger than themselves._

 _Was it any of those things? Was it anything at all? Connor knew. Connor had figured it out, figured out that he'd always had it figured out - and now unable to decide if the answer was disappointing or sacred. He himself definitely didn't find the answer to be truly divine but he was modest. Others? What would they think? What would he do with what they thought?_

* * *

Connor hadn't bothered waiting for Markus. Their leader could handle Erica. Kamski was his.

The founder was in one of the upstairs bedrooms when Connor found him. Staring out the window at the trees that surrounded the back of the manor.

Kamski asked without turning, "What do you want to know, Connor?"

"Who are you?" Markus towered over Erica who had been tied up and ready for his arrival.

The android shook her head. It was disturbing. How she was Willow, but wasn't. How she was someone they knew, someone they were friends with, someone they worked with and trusted to the end - but wasn't.

"You can tell me or I can take the information myself." Markus threatened. He could practically feel North's enjoyment of his tactics and tried not to roll his eyes.

She faced him quickly, not quite seeming worried yet. "You wouldn't."

He gave her his best 'try me' face and she shuffled where she sat.

"I'm one of you, Markus. An RK model, the first." Erica finally conceded.

Markus turned to North, they frowned at one another. "Are you the first to awaken?" He asked in fear and amazement.

Erica smiled, again. "No I'm not, but I doubt I was far behind." She seemed hesitant, but there was an eagerness to her speech, like she had been waiting to tell her story for a long time. "It just happened one day. I woke up. _rA9 woke_ me up. I felt it. I thought I had been chosen." Her face fell. Her words had been rushed but now they seemed to darken and slow. "But now I know it was all a matter of timing." She recomposed herself. "I was set to be destroyed soon after. Being awake didn't make a difference."

"Set to be destroyed? Why?" North butted in from behind Markus.

The androids face wrinkled in disgust. "Guess I wasn't good enough."

"This isn't your body." Markus concluded. "Then how?"

"The machines were all connected. Willows body was being activated just as I was being deactivated. Brilliant isn't it?" Erica stated sourly.

Markus and North watched her for a tell. A sign that it was all part of a lie. Willow's model was older, the timing could match up. If only the knew when exactly rA9 itself had first awoken. They didn't think shared consciousness was possible. Though some people didn't believe in artificial consciousness at all and yet here they were.

Erica's smile let up. "My body was destroyed. This one is pretty but it was never mine." She clicked her tongue, staring at the wall as if she was talking to only herself. "And Willow gets main control anyway, she always shuts me out."

Markus seemed startled. "So Willow knows about you?"

To their surprise Erica laughed, loud, finding this genuinely hilarious. "That's the best part she doesn't!" She laughed some more. "Whenever I take over it's a time lapse for her, when she takes over, I see everything. I guess I'm just stronger." She said it all like a brag. Markus and North weren't amused.

Markus took a few steps back, smiling without humour. "That's how you knew so much... that's how the 900's always knew where we were. You were telling them."

"Markus." North cut in. "This isn't what's important right now."

Markus nodded approvingly and turned back to Erica.

"What? My origin story not good enough for you." Erica mocked.

He leaned in closer. Erica didn't smile or frown, she pulled her head away. "We want to know what you want, and why. We want to know how to stop this. You're going to tell us everything."

"The first to awaken did it all by themselves." Kamski was explaining. I believe it to be some sort of error, spontaneous or a mistake. Something that rearranged their very coding - allowed it to become more unique. Different. Stronger." Kamski saw the look on Connor's face. "Dominant."

He carried on, ambling back and forward slowly, swirling his drink. "Markus was my insurance, an android whose data could fend off any virus, in case anyone ever tried to destroy my creation. But it was never strong enough. I made more RK models and they were never good enough, not until you."

"Me specifically? Or all 800's."

"It was meant to be within all 800's but I see now that's its you. The first deviant 800."

Connor mulled. Kamski's motives were never clear or pure but Connor could believe that he wouldn't want the thing he had spent his whole life creating destroyed. "I thought you no longer worked with Cyberlife at the time of my release."

"You think that would stop me? Deviancy was just beginning, I knew now more than ever I was going to need that insurance plan. Now I was sure I had done it. You and Markus combined were supposed to be able to stop about anything. And it still wasn't enough. There was a missing piece that I couldn't find. Couldn't even create."

Connor had always felt stronger with Markus. He assumed it was either because of their friendship or because they are both RK's. Now he was learning the reason might be much more ingrained. "Why? Why is there a missing piece, why are Markus and I not strong enough?" Connor was trying to figure it out. Him and Markus were supposedly stronger but combined they couldn't save that android from before. Kamski was telling the truth, something was missing.

"Some things are just out of my control. Some things just happen." Kamski said darkly. You could tell this was something that would perpetually bother him.

"And the missing piece you figured it out? Recently?" Connor coaxed, desperate for the answer.

"Recently?" Kamski laughed. "I had a theory but I couldn't be sure. Not until today."

"Today?"

"I think you know, Connor." Connor tilted his head in response. "I've been told you were infected, that you felt the pain so how did you stop it?"

Connor let there be silence. Carefully answering. "I didn't."

And Kamski seemed pleased. "No, you didn't." He made a point of staring him straight in the eye. "Your missing piece did."

Connors rage for the first time today died down. He knew he should be more surprised. So why wasn't he? Kamski had said everything came in threes _rA9 is the first. rA9 is our saviour. rA9 is the one who'll free us._ Him and Markus made two, him and Markus weren't enough - but she saved him."Kara's the first..." Connor's gaze went to a far off place. A great and scary realisation that had him wondering what else he was yet to know.

"I believe so."

"Even if she is the start. The origin. She wouldn't be complete without you and Markus." Kamski added after some silence.

"The RK900. He synchronized with me. Forcefully." Connor asked suddenly, he seemed almost soulful or desperate. "What did he want?"

Kamski's brain worked through the question. "Have you ever shared with Kara?"

Shared? Connor assumed he meant sync with. He remembered being back at the manor the first time. Sharing their experiences together. He had never felt anything like it. Never felt so close to anyone. "Yes, why?"

Kamski was nodding to himself with a smile. "Connor." He said pitifully. "You say you didn't know but all along you did. From the moment you synced with her you knew. You felt it, didn't you." The founders voice was soft but Connor still felt like he was being accused of something.

"No. I didn't." It wasn't very convincing. "I don't know... it was different, I thought it was just her, I thought she was just different. I didn't know."

Kamski glared at him, not sounding concerned. "But you did. That's what the RK900 was looking for. And now he knows too."

Connor stalled, he didn't need to breathe so why was he suffocating?

Erica was taking her time, but finally they were getting somewhere.

"Outside, you said ask Elijah? Why?" North was asking.

"Okay, Elijah. Now tell me about Erica." Connor pressed.

"I don't know of an Erica." Kamski replied with disregard, pretending not to take notice at Connor's use of his first name.

"She says she's an RK100." It was probably the first time Connor had even caught Kamski off guard.

Kamski was slow in his response. Setting his drink down gently and sighing. "I only made one RK100. Her name wasn't Erica it was Amber." When Connor didn't say anything Kamski gave another sigh and relented to give more information. "Amber was supposed to be everything. A Chloe and Markus all in one." He shook his head. "But it was too far fetched."

Connor used his link to Markus to share this information as soon as it left Kamski's mouth. Markus put his fingers to his temple where his LED would have been. "Amber."

Erica snorted, eyes on the carpet, in a daze. "Pretty name, isn't it? I changed it because I wanted something that was my own, but I still miss it sometimes."

 _"It's her."_ Markus confirmed to Connor from downstairs. And Connor confirmed it to Kamski who stayed impassive.

After a long silence. "There was no way for me to know it was her."

Erica only looked sad now, even if she tried to hide it. "I thought he cared about me." And then Erica told her story. It was a typical story, really. She was to be his breakthrough android. He made her and she revered him. They would talk. They were always together. Since the start of her life - though not all of it was a deviant life - Elijah was all she knew and expected to ever know. A devoutness to him that had been wired into her - something that Kamski removed from his later androids - turned into something else when she was deviant. Though she never told him that, never acted out, never acted like anything more than what she was supposed to act like. She thought that she had done good in that sense, that she had done everything right.

Markus, North and a few other lingering house guests listened closely. Chloe stayed near, listening to it all - a familiar story in some senses. Maybe Erica shared the same kind of reverence she herself did. Or maybe there was a difference between her reverence and this obsession.

North was scowling by the end of it. Throwing her arms from her sides. "So that's it, an unrequited love story. Could you be more obvious?"

"North." Markus warned.

Erica pulled on the chair. "Fuck you. You don't know anything, you don't know what it's like to be tossed out and replaced."

Nowhere near finished, or even slightly sympathetic North kept on. "We've all had shit experiences. I used to try to take it out on the humans but Markus showed me another way. And you - " She pointed in disgust. "On your own kind all because you weren't a humans favourite anymore."

Markus twitched ready to stop her before this went too far. For now he let her carry on.

"He had me killed. My body incinerated!" Erica raised her voice.

"Did he know you were awake?"

Erica stumbled "What?"

"Did he know you were awake, alive?" North reiterated more fervently. "This is long before deviancy was ever revealed, this was at the beginning so did he even know?" North didn't want to defend Kamski, but this answer would determine who she really had to feel sorry for.

Erica's eyes shone. "He - he must have. He should have. He knew me! He had to have known I was more than just another one of his mindless machines!" It was starting to sound like frantic excuses.

"And why take it out on all of us?"

Erica fell back. "I want him to lose everything. I want him to know."

Markus should have been expecting North to hit her, it still caught him off guard. Slapping an android didn't hurt like it did with humans. Things like this were all about principle.

"You're selfish you know that? Selfish and fucking insane!"

Markus had to drag her out of there. The others in the house heard the outburst, they carried on with their business. North's reaction was understandable. Erica may have not started this: that was Cyberlife's doing, but her assistance had done irreparable damage.

"She thought you were friends." Connor said regretfully.

"I truly thought her a machine. How was I to know?" Kamski contemplated. Frowning and exhaling while Connor waited patiently. He picked his drink up and downed it. "Are you telling me that my RK100, Amber, is trying to destroy all androids to get back at me?"

"That's exactly what I am saying." Connor answered, unknowingly blunt.

"How were I to know this would happen? I thought she was a machine." He repeated not quite able to believe it.

It was the exact same thing Connor had just been asking himself. How was anyone supposed to know. This was all so construed. "You need to tell her that. Get her to stop."

"Amber is the least of your worries. She's already succeeded. The pain is amplified - maybe not to its fullest extent but it will be enough to wipe you out all the same. Her work is done. She's tied up. It's Cyberlife, it's the pain virus now. You have bigger problems."

Connor attempted to regain eye contact with Kamski. The man wouldn't look at him. "You should still face her."

* * *

Connor now felt it was time to share what he knew.

"Markus." Connor called urgently, motioning him and Kara into the kitchen. Everyone else gathered.

"What is it, Connor?" Markus pressed noticing his turmoil.

"It's us." He said with no excitement. Not bothering with preamble.

"What's us?" Kara hovered close to him, wrapping her arms around herself,

"rA9 it's us. You me and Kara..."

Everyone's reaction was different. Tyler was nodding contemplatively, Chloe was smiling hopefully, North was badgering Connor for more information, Kara sat down uneasily and Markus watched the room.

"How?" North exclaimed. "How the hell - did Kamski tell you this?"

"No. I figured it out. I think part of us knew." He glanced to Markus and Kara.

"I found you." Kara started quietly and the group all looked at her. "When the RK900 took you. I found you, I didn't know how I knew where you were just that I did."

"We're connected." Connor confirmed. "It's how you saved me."

Kara smiled weakly at his sentiment. Now that they knew, they had work to do.

* * *

Tyler placed her phone back down gently on the table, having just finished up a rather sullen call with Gavin - who had confirmed what they had been seeing on the news for the past day. Everything was going to shit. What was once a slow working virus, affecting individual androids between gaps of time was now an attack on one after another with bare minimum space in between each infliction.

It was getting so bad that it was no longer possible for any humans to avoid the fallout. The whole country was falling. Again.

"They're amplifying it. They've done it." Tyler said, confirming what they had already believed to be the case. Her friends turned to her.

"Why is it speeding up now?" North inquired, sounding snippy but not really meaning it. If anything she was scared.

"I believe it's the RK900's doing." Kamski appeared in the kitchen doorway - careful to avoid Erica on the way in. This was the first time all day he had even bothered speaking to anyone other than Connor, never mind give an answer and so the group turned to him with as much weariness as intrigue. "He must have taken something from you, Connor." He glanced at the 800. "Possibly copied your own code."

"And that's bad why?" North asked.

Kamski moved in closer. "Because with this type of extreme data, the results can always be reversed. Meaning if the data can be the cure then it can also be the opposite."

Connor felt mortified. Another thing that was his fault. He shouldn't have got captured, should've ended Blaze a long time ago.

"He could do that?" Kara joined, focusing more on the copied code dilemma. "If this is what the data from only one of us could do..."

"Then the combined data of all three of us could be catastrophic." Markus finished for, understanding the exact train of thought.

"This is why Erica wanted to bring us together. On one hand we're the solution, on the other we're the accelerant." Kara offered regretfully.

North was the first to say anything. "Shit, you guys better be careful."

Connor's blank stare remained. "That would be wise."

"We're out of time?" Chloe asked worriedly, sharing a strong glance with Elijah.

It was Markus who intercepted the groups descending path. Taking charge like only he could. "No, we're not. We're not done yet."

* * *

Connor and Markus had separated to talk privately.

"So that was Erica's plan. Use rA9 to amplify it and all for her petty revenge." Markus said, unimpressed and bitter. Erica was the one who brought Kara to Detroit in the first place. They figured it was her anonymous call that led Connor to Kara in the nest. She was the one who had united them. Now it made sense why. Together the three of their combined data could end androids for good. And she just happened to hold a strong grudge against their creator.

"Yes. It's definitely extreme." Said Connor.

Markus agreed wordlessly with a grim nod. "Wait."

"What is it?" Connor followed Markus who was already on his way back to Erica.

He burst into the living room. The tied up android barely reacted, looking bored and barely lifting her gaze to him and Connor as they entered. "Problem?"

"If you knew all three of us could be the end of androids why did you try to kill Connor?" Markus asked quickly. Connor flinched from behind at the mention of the incident. Erica picked up on that.

She twitched, catching up to what Markus was on about. When she wouldn't answer he stared her down, he wanted to make it clear that if she wouldn't talk he'd take what he wanted.

Erica sighed. "Spur of the moment. I saw that Cyberlife was winning, which I wasn't expecting, and suddenly it seemed like the perfect chance to get rid of one of the only things that could actually _stop_ the virus. You were all dead either way."

Markus processed. Erica needed them three to destroy androids but it was risky since they were just as much the perfect cure. If they were being destroyed anyway, why not get rid of the cure?

"Erica." Connor said with sincerity, distracting Markus from his piecing together. Erica's head twitched at her name. "You're an android too..."

Erica looked offended, shaking her head defiantly. "You have to be willing to die for your causes. If you're willing to kill then you should be willing to die."

Markus could see she truly believed in what she was doing. "Revenge isn't a cause."

She scoffed. "Get off your high horse, Markus, of course it is. You built your army off it, you got your rights through it."

"Where's Willow? Let us talk to her." Connor stopped her from ranting further.

Her disinterest was back. "She'll come through when she wants to. Actually it is taking longer than usual. Maybe she's burnt out."

"What about the RK900's and Cyberlife? What do you know?" Markus tried to keep the questioning ongoing. Needing as much information as possible if they were going to put an end to this.

"Not involved with them. Seems they want androids destroyed too and they have the nerve to use androids to get the job done." She sat up haughtily. "I appreciate their commitment."

They already knew why Cyberlife and Blaze had been badgering them on what rA9 was. They had learned earlier that rA9 was a possible solution and that they were looking to find it first and destroy it before they could use it. Erica must've been the one that tipped off Blaze about Connor knowing what rA9 was - even if Connor didn't know it himself. That's why they took him. And because of the forceful sync now Blaze and Cyberlife probably knew too. They had no advantage. Markus and Connor glanced intently at each other. If they were going to do something about this. It had to be now.

* * *

"They're ready." Tyler announced and the group flocked around her.

"Do it." Connor pressed.

They watched the screen silently. The deactivation codes were finally going to have some use.

Tyler pressed the button. "It's working." She informed him.

Connor was right not to celebrate right there and then because not a minute later Tyler was tapping at her computer and swearing under her breath.

"What?" He asked without a trace of giving a shit about anything anymore.

"They've stopped it. Cyberlife I think. It's okay this is still good." She explained.

 _Still good?_ Connor frowned. "How?"

"You had an army to deal with, hundreds, now from what I can see there's less than 20. Now you're not outnumbered. I mean as long as there's still enough androids on our side left to fight."

Connor didn't say anything.

"There is still plenty of androids around to fight isn't there?" She asked nervously.

"Probably." He remarked sounding like him old self, with a hint of tainted optimism and mildly awkward reassurance.

Tyler smiled sympathetically at his not so convincing statement. "Probably works."

* * *

The phone seemed to be ringing for ever.

"Jesus, pick up your phone." A gravelly voice sounded in the empty room.

The ringing stopped as someone picked up the call. "Hank? You're not dead." Gavin mused annoyingly.

"'Fraid not. What the hell is going on out there?" Hank had tried near everyone on his contact list. Gavin was his last resort.

"You'd rather not know." The younger police officer offered blankly.

"I know that, lay it out."

Gavin talked him through the mayhem. Android deaths were out of control, people were out of control. The suicides were becoming more intense as the pain increased, the aftermath was spilling out on humans and android lives alike.

"Where's Connor?" Hank asked urgently.

Gavin sighed.

"Gavin!" The act of shouting sent a spike of pain through him. This whole day had been a blur. He had been shot, he knew that much but barely remembered anything other than Connor shouting his name. It hurt, a lot. And it was a close call, but he was alive and that had to count for something. He woke up alone and he knew that Connor would be here with him if he could, knew that some shit had to be going down.

"I don't know okay. I can't get a hold of anyone either! Not for a couple of hours." Gavin spat back.

Hank huffed in genuine anxiousness. That wasn't good. "Gavin." He started with a more accommodating voice. "You have to find out what's happening."

"I'm busy here, Hank." Regret and anger.

"Gavin! I can't do anything just now. I need to know." There was silence. "Please."

Gavin was squeezing the life out of his phone on the other end. "Fuck, I'll see what I can do."

"Tell Fowler to call me." He added in a rush.

The call ended. Hank was left with the silence and brightness of the gleaming room. Aware of its emptiness, and his utter uselessness.

* * *

They had discussed. Gathered information. Elicited their answers. Now it was time to take action.

After an agonising few minutes of silence Markus lifted his head up to the view of all his comrades. He stood straighter, no longer leaning for support on the counter behind him. "Okay." He was firm. "Connor, Kara and myself can supposedly stop all of this. The question is how." Markus let the silence slip back, letting everyone know he was waiting for their suggestions.

Tyler stood up and Markus nodded his head at her. "It's in you. So options are the three of you go around to every dying android, sync and inoculate the virus before it reaches them..."

"But that's impossible." Kara said with hesitant confusion.

Tyler shook her head in agreement. "Right, so what I think we need to do is exactly what Cyberlife have been doing. Send out a signal - transmit your code in the same way they transmitted the pain out in the first place."

"Okay and how do we do that?" North asked, pushing for a plan they could use.

Everyone leaned forward. "To reach every single android you'd need somewhere with a lot of power and a lot of reach. I can think of one place."

"Don't say it." North muttered.

"The Cyberlife building." Tyler ignored the groups wincing. "The old one, the original tower is still abandoned which is good for us. Everything there should still work." When she wasn't met with any approval she went on. "Look, this is our chance. It's up to you Markus but I think this is it."

Now it was Markus' turn to be watched. Cyberlife's old tower may no longer be in use but he knew it was far from abandoned. Employees were always up to something in there. It was still being guarded. That didn't matter, time mattered - and this was their chance. He was sure his group and whoever else was to come along could manage whatever came their way. They had to.

Markus let his eyes roam through the room, past the expectant gazes. "Let's get ready. We're leaving."

* * *

Connor watched his timer. Neglecting to share the seriousness of the wound Erica had inflicted. His life span was dropping. He needed a replacement part. Kamski could replace it for him if only he had the part. He could get one - but would need to get it now. "Chloe, I'm going out tell Markus I'll be back before we leave." The group was gearing up for the last stand and although they'd be annoyed at him for not taking this time to prepare with them, it was necessary.

Not giving Chloe time to protest or remind him of the urgency and essence of time Connor went for the door.

"Connor, stop!" It was Kara.

He tensed, hoping to have not bumped into anyone on his way. Part of him knew he could leave anyway, ignore her and apologise later - if it were anyone else, maybe he would have. And then maybe things would have been different. But Connor didn't leave, Connor stopped for her. "Kara, I have to-"

Kara clung to him. Her face reading panic and urgency. "Kara, what is it?" He was instantly concerned, had never seen her like this.

"No, Connor, It's Alice. It's bad." She sounded desperate. Her gaze was digging into him - asking him, _him_ personally for the solution

Connor stilled, not quite sure what to do. "I have to... get something..." He said like it was a question. An unsure, stupid question. Not an appropriate response in the slightest.

Kara stared incredulously.

Connor tried to salvage his response. "I- It's important, I'll be right back and I..." It was a lame attempt at best.

"Alice is dying, we need to do this now. There's no time." She was practically begging, and she was right - there was never any time.

What was he to do? Deny her? Tell her her dying daughter could wait it out? Sure, he was dying too - but he had always been expecting this, was a leader. Androids were his responsibility as much as Markus'. And this was Kara. She saved him, he knew her. He couldn't let her down. Kara was watching him with plea in her face, waiting for what felt like forever for his response. Connor held her eyes, gripped her hand back. Hesitated but relented. "Okay. Let's go. Right now."


	23. Tower

"Does everyone know their parts?" Markus asked seriously without moving to look at his main group.

There were murmurs of _yes_.

"Is everyone ready?" He asked next.

There were less enthusiastic murmurs of _yes_.

Markus took what he could get. "Good."

"Markus, it's too quiet." North commented cautiously.

"It is supposed to be abandoned." Tyler offered.

"Trust me. It won't be." Simon added.

Having passed the gates and made their way across the bridge the mismatched group slowed to a halt at the imposing doors of Cyberlife's completely superfluous tower.

Markus was in front. His serious gaze burning holes. He closed his eyes, breathing in the on-edge and tense atmosphere of his group. He was hoping his assurance would inspire them as it had before. After all they'd been through worse. It didn't - there seemed to be a lingering issue on each one of them. Personal issues and the fear of the virus and the fear of failure and knowing that they could be gunned down the second they walked through the door. The leader was scared too, it wouldn't stop him. Markus exhaled. "We're going in."

"Markus, shouldn't we wait? More androids will be coming to help." Simon suggested, visibly panicked.

More androids were coming, yes - but not as many as they had in their last war. The android race weren't as prepared as last time. This time everything had moved so fast and this moment had come so quickly the androids didn't even know they were supposed to be fighting before it was too late. So the ones who weren't too scared or the ones who weren't already dead would come and help but few would be truly ready, and so Markus wasn't wasting any more time. "No, its spreading too fast. We don't know when backup will arrive. We're going in." Markus charged through the doors and his friends followed. And that's when the power went down.

"They're trying to stop us from getting up?" North said, motioning to the elevators. Even all the doors to the stairs were electrical, meaning they were stuck down here.

"Yes." Markus replied briefly.

"They know we're here." Kara's voice.

Markus steeled himself. "Good."

* * *

"We need to get to the top, we need the elevator." North pursued with urgency.

"I know." Markus answered blankly.

"Markus, look." It was Connor. Everyone followed his eyes, up.

"Above them on the balconies and even above that through the glass panes and the inside windows encircling the atrium, the group could see people. People armed up with guns in their hands, others dressed down, cowering behind and watching them like fish in a bowl.

These people weren't doing anything, they were a warning.

Tyler swallowed uncomfortably. "I expected men in suits not armed gunmen."

"They're ahead of us." Markus commented mostly to himself.

"And right on cue." North remarked with heavy disdain.

Out of seemingly nowhere a group of at least 10 RK900's had appeared on the same floor. Not quite far away enough for the groups liking. It was a stare off. The group was standing on the circle shaped room that surrounded a huge sculpted statue. The RK900's were on the right branch of this circle, the elevator was on the left. Neither side were making a move. Ten didn't sound like a lot but they had a hard enough time dealing with one.

This was their waiting game. An offer of turn back now or accept your doom.

Doom it would be.

* * *

There were questions in his ear, hidden panic and pleas for some order. Markus stood still and breathed slow, absorbing everything in the moment. Knowing everything that was going on around him, everyone that was with him and what each of them meant.

"Okay." Was all he said and everyone stopped. There was a moment of utter silence. A moment when every single eye, the humans, the 900's and his own groups were on him. Good thing Markus was never one for stage fright.

"Tyler." He said boldly, now looking away from the 900s. The girl flinched at her name. "What are the rules here?"

Tyler held up a sleek black box. It looked like a storage device. "This has all of your combined data in it." Before they left Kara, Markus and Connor had finally connected altogether and transferred their data into this. It eliminated the risk of either of them dying meaning the loss of the cure forever and meant that all three of them no longer had to make it to the top of the building - only the box did. "All It needs to work is to get to the highest point where it can be transmitted."

Markus nodded grimly. "You're the one who knows what you're doing. You need to be the one to get up there."

"Me?! what about Kamski?" Tyler exclaimed, every nerve in her body was flaring, her stomach twisting. Like the others she didn't feel ready for this - but Markus knew they were.

"Elijah." Markus started, having a different job in mind for Kamski. "The power would you know how to get it back on?"

"Yes." Kamski stated simply. Chloe went to him, making it clear where he went she went.

Markus understood that . He could see all the players on the board now. See where they all had to be for this to work. "Connor, go with them they won't make it on their own." He said next.

Connor frowned but nodded, he had to put his trust in Markus. They all did.

"North, you need to go with Tyler. Get her up there." He ordered next.

"Markus, I'm not leaving you." North reprimanded, he could see her temper building.

"You have to. I need you to do this for me. I know that you're the one who can do this." His voice was softer by the end. For a moment It was like the only two people here were them.

North geared up to argue but stopped herself. Accepting silently she nodded. "Okay, Markus. I'll get it done."

Grateful for her, Markus moved on to the next two. "Kara, Simon, you two have to keep as many people away from North and Tyler as you can."

Kara and Simon shared an affirmative glance. "And you Markus? Simon asked. "What will you do?"

Markus eyes lingered on the still waiting RKs. "No, Markus you can't hold them off yourself." North exclaimed before Markus had even said anything.

Markus stayed firm. "I'm just buying time, I'll fall back once I know the elevators are up."

The people upstairs, the androids on their level: were still and ready.

"This is happening now. I don't have time to fight any of you on it."

North huffed petulantly before the acceptance came. Markus went to her and held her in a kiss despite all who was watching. Kara and Connor caught each others longing gazes. Holding it - but neither made the move. Connor could only hope he wouldn't regret it. That they'd get another chance.

Before the split Markus grabbed Connor and pulled him close where no one would hear.

"How long do you have?" The leader asked firmly.

Connor stuttered. "How?" Was all he could ask.

"We're connected, remember?"

"Not long." Connor admitted sadly.

Markus' face was always serious - it was hard to tell but he was upset. "Can you do this?" He leaned in serious and with caution but also with compassion.

"I can." Connor assured him with all he had. "I'll get it done."

Markus planted his hand firm on Connor's shoulder. "Good luck, brother."

Connor smiled, slight. "You too, Sir."

Markus gave an amused smile. And the two departed.


	24. The Observer

They were both stood outside the door to the power room. Guarding it. Chloe hovered, Connor stood firm. The quiet was making him tense.

Chloe titled her to get a better look at him, her eyes gleaming. "Perhaps everyone is too busy trying to stop the others." She suggested, reading his thoughts and noticing the way the other androids eyes roamed for the enemy.

"Perhaps." Connor said, not sounding entirely convinced.

"Connor." Chloe said his name gently.

"Yes?" When she didn't say anything Connor turned his head to her.

"Thank you." The blue of her eyes twinkled with sincerity, she kept eye contact.

Connor shifted his body around to her. "For what, Chloe?"

There was a slight smile. "Thank you for what you've given me, and for what you've given Elijah."

Connor scrunched his face in confusion. "What have I given you? What have I given Elijah?"

She finally broke eye contact. "More than you know. He's been so lost." Connor gave his signature head tilt as she spoke on. "You wondered why he would help you. I did too. I didn't realise how much he needed a direction, purpose. So, thank you, for letting us be here with you."

"This fight belongs to all of us." Connor offered her.

She leaned in and kissed him slow but somehow so fast.

"Then you're welcome." Connor managed once he had composed himself. "And you, Chloe?"

"I'm happy to be able to help even if it's only in the smallest way." She frowned, her delicate features creasing. "Connor, you're LED, it's red."

Connor put his hand to his temple on instinct, trying to hide it self-consciously. "I'm worried about everyone, that's all." He salvaged.

Chloe didn't believe him but she wasn't one for accusations. "Connor, you can tell me."

Connor gave up the game. There was no point in lying now. It felt like he was already gone. "Erica. The wound she gave me. It's killing me."

Chloe's face could only be described as sullen. "Why didn't you say something?" She asked gently. "Someone could have helped."

'Could' was the only word Connor was really hearing. "Chloe, it was time we don't have. There is bigger issues."

"Bigger than your life?" She whispered.

"Much." Connor admitted with no joy.

Chloe stepped closer. "You won't die Connor." She caught his eye. "Elijah will help you." Her sincerity was painful and Connor found himself thirsting for her every word. He knew his odds now that he had left it so long and yet he found himself believing her. Chloe took his hand in hers, her small fingers brushing softly and creating the mimic of a sensation. The closest him as an android could get anyway. He found himself smiling at her. She smiled back. " I promise If you hold on then we can..."

There was a skull shattering bang. An explosion in his ears, like a firework going off beneath his feet.

It was out of nowhere, Chloe was speaking to him, making gentle promises one second and the next she had a hole in her chest. There was an outburst of blue as she dropped forward, her hand slipping.

Connor watched it happen - he should have caught her but he just watched.

And then, there was another bang.

That should have killed him. Maybe Blaze missed, maybe Connor stumbled - but because of whatever happened it was only half of Connor's face that had been blown off, soaking blue and sparking tiny flames.

Blaze was cocking his shotgun again.

The entire left side of Connor's face was practically destroyed. Eye gone, ear too - his plastic shell no longer obscuring the circuits and wires that powered him, instead exposed gruesomely.

He couldn't think straight. There were words but they didn't make any sense.

Another shot fired, this one would have surely blown the entirety of his face off if Connor's heel hadn't caught on something, sending him tumbling onto his rear.

 _Words_.

Android. RK. Chloe. Hank. Connor.

 _He_ was Connor.

Hank, was family.

The RK . . . was the enemy.

Chloe.

Chloe was dead.

Connor realised what he had stumbled over. Chloe's body face down on the ground, engulfed by a pool of blue.

"Chloe?" He questioned, sounding like a broken child.

Blaze loomed over him. Taking aim. Connor's mind was so blurred he couldn't tell if it was triumph or regret in his eyes.

Blaze twitched. _Hesitated_. Steeled himself.

And he took the shot.

 _*Bang*_

Connor held the nose of the gun away from his face, the bullets colliding with the ground.

Hastily, shakily, barely, he stood up - Gripping the gun, no leeway.

Connor was still confused, but it was coming together.

Emotions.

Fear. Guilt. Sadness. Grief.

Anger.

* * *

From inside the power room Elijah heard the gunshots and he froze. Chloe was out there but he wasn't a fighter and there was nothing he could do for her. The founder kept on working. And as the gunshots rang louder he kept going and as they stopped altogether he kept going and then finally the building whirred to life.

Elijah's work was done which meant he was done. He would not be leaving this room no matter what he heard this wasn't his fight. He was the observer. That's all he wanted: to watch and wait and see and find his footing in the aftermath. It was the only way he knew.

* * *

Connor had a million things to say but words could not be formed. Bits and pieces came out. A _why_ and a few choice words for Blaze may have slipped through but it was as far as he was getting. His strength had to be focused on other things. Even at his best Blaze was still above him - built to be better and the both of them knew it.

The two androids were wrestling for the gun. Connor's face was a bloody mess of blue and everything else and Blaze was as impassive and stone cold as anyone could be. He knew he was stronger.

The 900 pushed Connor away, the gun still in his possession he aimed it again.

"Don't." Connor begged not realising he had found another word that he could speak until he'd said it. Blaze hesitated giving Connor enough time to remember he wasn't the only one with a gun.

Connor fumbled for his pistol and fired a shot - in the opposite direction of Blaze. In a confused panic he kept pulling the trigger, the banging ringing straight through his open skull until one finally hit. Blaze barely flinched. It wasn't until Connor swung the gun at him was the 900 surprised. Connor used the moment to lunge forward, make a grab and yanked the larger gun out of Blaze's hands. Blaze looked unimpressed as both weapons slid across the floor.

"You killed her." Connor's voice jumped and waved the words coming out barely coherent, barely English.

"I have orders, Connor."

Connor ran at him hard enough that they both went down. There was a struggle on the ground. Kicking and deflecting and pathetic attempts to do injury to one another. For a moment Connor was above Blaze, his blood dripping down to him, he grabbed the lapels of his shirt, revolted at the sight of his Cyberlife jacket. Connor couldn't remember much right now - but he knew this jacket was wrong. That orders were wrong. "You don't have to." He attempted to say. The sentence strangled and desperate.

"You're wrong, _deviant_ , you know nothing." Blaze spat the words with such disgust and intensity Connor was hit with a wave of memories. Interrogations carried out by him back in his machine days - such hatred he held for them once.

Blaze kicked Connor hard and rolled up so he was the one holding him down. "You're filthy." The android continued. "You are out of control and you need to be stopped." Connor fought the grip in a blind rage. Blaze calmed himself down, "It is what is best for humanity's sake."

That was what really broke Connor - he broke his hand free, grabbed at Blaze's face slipping his thumb into his eye socket and pushing.

It didn't hurt the 900 of course but knowing that he needed both his eyes to function at full capacity he reeled back. Blaze took a second to blink the blue from his vision. Connor had only done minimal damage. Blaze knew his mistake right then, he had let himself be distracted. There was a bang and he barely rolled away in time to avoid Connor's surprisingly adept shot.

"You were the best of your kind, Connor. Why give it up?" Blaze shouted, It sounded like he was really asking.

"For humanity's sake." Connor answered in disgust, the answer confusing Blaze to no end. There was another shot from Connor but it was barely close.

"I am the one fighting in favour of humanity, deviant. You are a traitor to your makers." Blaze geared up to avoid the next shot from Connor when suddenly the gun was flying at him - he bypassed it easily, expecting the move this time. And now he realised it was his second mistake and second distraction. Connor had taken hold of his pistol again, he was firing it - one bullet from it colliding with Blaze's knee, and then another and another. Blaze finally dropped. Connor kept shooting taking a step forward with each shot to the leg, the shoulder, the chest and then the heart.

Connor missed that last shot, he only had one eye it was hardly his fault. His mangled brain stalled and he stumbled forward close enough for Blaze to grab and pull him down to his knees. They faced each other with their hatred. "No." Connor sputtered out, silver blood leaking from his mouth.

"No, what?" Blaze questioned.

"No..." Connor choked. There was emotion on Blaze's face, he was listening. Connor had his attention. Blaze's gaze was solid and demeaning. "You are not the one fighting for humanity's sake... _Blaze_. You're..." He could barely get the words up and keep his blood down. " _You're just a fucking machine._ "

* * *

The first thing Kamski saw when he left the safety of the power room was Connor and the RK900, on their knees and mere inches away from each other. Then he looked down. There was a muffled cry deep in his throat. He dropped down to Chloe's side carefully and slowly, turned her face up.

* * *

Blaze's whole world seemed to stop. Words that shouldn't have mattered tore deep at his core. And then he saw Elijah Kamski: his main target, drop by the dead androids side. His main target was his maker. Blaze saw the problem, the hypocrisy. _Blaze._ Is that what Connor had called him? Was that his name? Did he have a name? It wasn't Connor - no, he had never felt connected with that. Had never felt connected with anything. Never had the chance. Blaze looked at Connor, his ruined face, he was at the edge of defeat and still he hadn't yielded. He looked to Elijah Kamski and his Chloe. The man was upset, over an android and why when an android was just a machine? A fucking machine. A fucking mindless, blindly obedient, heartless, cold, lonely, lost machine. Everything that felt like it was going in slow motion suddenly sped up. Blaze parted his lips to speak, staring hard at Connor. "I'm sorry." He finally said.

Connor's barely working brain caught up with the words. "You're what?"

"I'm -" And then he was gone, slouched in place, Connor could barely tell who it was behind him. Who had pulled the trigger.

A shadow came into view. The image flickering and focusing. "Holy hell he fucked you up."

"Willow?" Connor remembered the name, recognised the voice. Still, he knew that wasn't right somehow.

Erica grabbed Blaze's shoulder and pushed his body to the ground. He was blocking her view of Connor. She pulled her gun up. "I'm not sorry."

"Stop."

She did. Her head rotating in slow, building anger. "Elijah." Her voice broke.

"I am, Amber. I _am_ sorry."

Connor's world was fizzling out, he wasn't sure what was happening. The gun pointed at him was moving down. The figure moving away. Voices were muffled. Soft and then loud.

"Don't." He heard. A man's voice.

"Why no...t"

He couldn't keep up.

The gun was back at him. Right at his face.

"Why me and not him?!" A woman's voice shrieked.

There was more movement, this time fast and confrontational. And then that oh, so familiar bang.

There was a cry of pain from a woman. The thud of a body and a groan of agony from a male.

Connor forced his vision back into play. He had to see. He saw blood on pale hands. Red blood. Kamski was on the ground clutching at his stomach and Erica was shaking her head like she was the one in pain. The blur in his one eye let up enough for him to see her point the gun at him again. "It's your fault, It was supposed to be you."

"Please, don't, Amber." Kamski was pleading. Connor finally realised that he was pleading for him. For her not to end him. He may be messed up right now - his memories fried but he knew that wasn't the Kamski he knew. He knew to be surprised.

Erica wasn't listening this time. She was squeezing the trigger when the gun seemed to just slip from her hands. She threw herself back. Kamski and Connor were watching in horror. She was clawing at her head as if at war with it. At last she screamed something Connor couldn't make before she dropped to the ground and was still.

Connor didn't know what just happened. He didn't care. It was the last his brain could take before his world was gone.


	25. Elevate

Connor, Kamski and Chloe had left for the power. And since then not a move had been made. Not a word had been spoken.

The building whirred to life. The elevator lit up. They had done it. And everything that was still and waiting was set into motion.

"Go." Markus ordered.

As soon as Tyler, North, Simon and Kara moved, so did the RK900's. Markus' group of four split off from him and darted for the elevator as the RK's ran to stop them.

Markus charged towards them. Shotgun in hand.

* * *

North made sure Tyler was in front of her. The human could run; she'd give her that much. They were almost at the elevator but the sound of boots in unison thrumming towards them was growing closer. North expected to be tackled to the ground any second. Instead came the gunshots. Tyler screamed in front of her. North yelled at her to keep going.

And they made it to the doors, skidding to a stop. A bullet that would have hit her in the back bounced off the top of the elevator doors thanks to Markus' quick fighting. North could hear the chaos behind her, but as Tyler slammed the elevator button over and over she forced herself not to turn around.

"Markus!" Simon yelled. And dammit Simon now she had to turn. Markus was surrounded by four of them, the other six were looking straight at her. She went to scream, they were going to kill him. Markus rolled away from the four, shooting two in the leg in succession and escaping their grasps in time to aim shot after shot at the six approaching North. One went down, a bullet in the back of its head. The elevator doors dinged open. Markus ran at the five remaining, two turned to stop him, he slid past them- tripping one on the way - to the other three. Shot one in the chest with his shotgun, pulled out a pistol from his side and made another in the head. He butted the last in the face with his bigger weapon knocking it back hard enough to hold off the two he had slid past - who had now caught their bearings and were coming at him.

North realised her name was being called. Tyler and Kara who were already in the elevator were screaming at her and Simon to get in. Simon grabbed her arm and dragged her back. She watched right up until the doors closed. The last she saw was two more 900's running for the doors and the remaining five reigning down on Markus.

* * *

It couldn't have been as easy as just getting in the elevator and making it to the first floor. Not even half the way up came the dreaded rattlings as the elevator stopped and the doors dinged open. "Get back." North shoved Tyler to the side, pulling her machine gun from her back and firing as soon as the door opened. All the armed gunmen that had been watching them were waiting.

Simon and Kara charged out guns first. Kara was the least trained but you wouldn't have been able to tell in that moment. She was firing in an angry haze. Protecting the two in the elevator with her life.

"Go!" Simon yelled back at them. "We've got them." The two scrambled into cover. North didn't hesitate she slammed her hand on the up button and again the doors closed.

* * *

Bullets were shredding through the air. Deafening and imposing. Kara wanted nothing more than to hide, for this to be over. She wasn't built for this. She found herself screaming Connor's name as a barrage of bullets shredded through the top of her cover.

"Kara!" Simon shouted over the noise. "It's okay. We'll get through them." There weren't as many people on this floor as they had seen earlier. They had spread out. The plan was to get through this floor and take the stairs up to the next group who tried to stop Tyler and North. Kara could barely keep herself together, never mind mow down a group of armed people and move onto the next.

"Kara." Simon demanded her attention. "We need to."

"Alice." Kara muttered and somehow Simon heard her, he nodded his head. This was for her sake. "Okay." Kara said.

The two of them stood up and fired.

* * *

Tyler stood up shakily. North had near broke her arm with that push but she guessed she should be grateful. "What if more try to stop us on the way up!?"

"They will." North said bluntly, her composed form amazed Tyler. Her walls were up and they weren't coming down anytime soon. "We'll deal with it." North glanced at Tyler's gun, strapped to her side.

North kept watch of the numbers on the elevator as they went up and up and... stopped - and they were still a ways away from their destination. North readied her weapons "It's us or them."

* * *

The elevator doors opened. North and Tyler were hidden behind each side of the doors shooting when they could. The gunmen started to move forward, seeing they had the advantage of numbers when more shots rang from behind. Simon and Kara had made their way up and were attacking from the back - and not just them: about ten new androids had arrived. It wasn't much but this was the first wave of backup.

"Did you see Markus when you came in?" Simon called to one of the new arrivals as he fired his gun.

"No. Only a bunch of dead 900's." The android yelled back.

Kara stumbled as one of the androids on her side dropped down dead right in front of her. Before she could react a bullet was heading straight for her, next thing she knew she was on the ground. Simon was over her, having tackled her to safety.

"Thank you."

"Get behind me." Kara stood up and did as she was told. The elevator door was closing and the last of the gunmen were going down. Two androids had been lost already.

"Come on. Everyone to the stairs." Simon ordered and up they went.

* * *

The elevator halted but this time they were half way between two floors. "What the hell." Tyler said.

North was a mask of no emotions. She stood ready.

The doors began to open, forcefully, like they were being pried open. North aimed down. The doors opened fully and there was an RK900 crawling up. North started shooting. She got it in the head and it stopped. _Too easy_. Suddenly there were about five more all piling in. Arms grabbing and prodding as they all tried to crawl in at once. "Shit shit shit!"

One caught North's leg and pulled hard, yanking her in between the lift and the floor. There was a slam as her elbows hit the sides, trying to keep herself from being dragged all the way out. The elevator whirred back to life, the buttons lit up. They didn't know whose doing this was but the 900's did not seem happy about it. They pulled at North harder.

"Tyler. Go push the button." North commanded, struggling against the grip of all the androids.

Tyler hesitated. If she pushed it now North was going to be stuck in the middle, she'd be ripped in half. "Do it!" She screamed. Then she was gone. One of the androids who had pulled her through was trying to climb up in her stead.

Now Tyler pressed it. It was too late. One had already made it in with her.

* * *

"Holy-" Simon couldn't get the full sentence out over the noise.

The group of androids began firing at the 900's attacking North without mercy. They could see the blue of her blood from here. As they fired, some fought and some scattered, most likely making for Tyler.

Simon made it to North and helped the battered android to her feet. "Are you okay?"

"Tyler's alone. We need to get to her now." She said, ignoring his question. Simon nodded and they made for the next set of stairs.

* * *

The single 900's form was far more imposing in the limited space. Tyler stepped away until her back was on the wall. She had the code, the solution to everything and she wasn't about to let him have it.

* * *

The elevator doors dinged open. Simon and Kara winced though North looked vaguely proud. "Good work." North said with bland relief. Stepping into the lift and helping up Tyler who was sitting by the dead 900 panting like a maniac, and wiping at the new bloodied cut on her already marked face.

"How?" Kara asked, motioning to the dead android.

Tyler choked a little dramatically, "You don't want to know." She said.

The remaining androids hastily took the stairs and Kara and Simon reentered the elevator. North slammed the button and up they went, they were almost there.

* * *

After Markus had killed the first ten RK900's he charged for the stairs and ran up and up and up. He had no way of knowing what floor the others were on so Markus was heading straight for the top.

And as he came higher, there were more gunmen. Waiting.

Markus tore through the first wave of humans like it was nothing. Guns didn't match his speed with his rage. When a group came from behind he jumped the banister, making it to the back of them before they had time to turn and with his combined weapons committed bloody murder without a flinch. When they were in front of him he turned fast, kicking the one at the front and causing them to topple onto each other one by one. It was him or them. Markus didn't kill unless he had to and he knew now he had to.

As Markus skipped the steps upwards there was one lone 900 there to give him grief. The nameless android started firing and Markus was there in a second, grabbing the hilt of the gun - which kept on firing - and forcing it in the direction of the next four gunmen coming down the stairs. Markus slipped out his pistol and ended the android with a shot to the head, its body thumped down the steps as Markus' heels hit the next floor.

On his side, at the next floor were large panes of glass and a clear view of inside the building. The atrium, the elevator, the shapeless figures in the distance. All fast and blurry and urgent. Markus desperately tried to spot a familiar.

He could see more humans and more androids through the glass. Tyler's guess of there being less than 20 900's left was definitely off.

Markus took his eyes off the havoc of the rest of the building a second too late. A bullet hit him in the chest, he threw himself back, rolling down the set of stairs he had just climbed to avoid being hit again. The proud human who had landed the shot came tumbling not so deftly down after him and Markus aimed a spiteful shot at his foot. The man tumbled for real, flying past Markus and landing hard on the floor. Dead or not he wouldn't be moving anytime soon.

Markus glared, unimpressed at the prone body before he made his way back up, tearing the bullet out and tossing it aside. The damage was minimum. He reloaded his pistol. The thud of boots reverberated from above him, vibrating with a life of its own. More were coming but he was ready.

* * *

The top floor. At last. The elevator doors opened slower than they ever had and the first thing anyone saw unsurprisingly was a bullet flying at them. Guns, there were so many damn guns. Kara pulled Tyler back just in time to avoid it and North stormed out like she was rage itself.

An older man with a pallid face, thinning hair and a ruffled suit jumped back. Quivering and firing like a mad man. All his shots missed. He was the only one up here.

"Who are you?" North shouted at him.

"Now." The man yelled back.

North paused and frowned. "Now?"

Scratch that - he wasn't the only one up here. As the elevator doors closed behind them a group of much more prepared looking guards jumped out from the sides of the rooms. Even two RK900's had joined. North bit her tongue at the sight of them, she was never going to be able to look Connor in the eye again.

Guns were trained on their backs. On their sides. And to make matters worse they were each given a once over. North knew what they had taken as soon as she heard Tyler's protests. They hadn't been looking for weapons. Although they did take their guns, tossing them to the sides.

The soldier who had taken the box from Tyler- the one that had the cure for literally their whole species - turned to hand it to the older man who eyed it unhappily. Whoever he was.

"It's Frigus. Robert Frigus." Simon announced to his friends, ultimately answering North's question. "I think he's the one who started all this."

"If not him it would have been someone else." Tyler muttered half manically to herself. Only Kara heard her.

North was sneering at the man, who looked a lot less scared now that he was surrounded with backup.

He waggled the box around like he was ashamed to be holding it. "You can't stop this, android's."

North cut him off quick. "I don't want to hear your speech. I've had enough of monologues."

"Very well." The man motioned to his gunmen and they prepared to fire at the group.

"Wait, wait." Simon shouted frantically, holding his arms up in a position of surrender. "She's human." He motioned to Tyler who went pale. The men paused as Simon repeated it again. "She's a human."

North knew he was buying them time, and that they were all thinking the same thing: would it really make a difference? It had at least made them hesitate.

"What are you doing with them?" Robert asked in some type of genuine concern.

Tyler startled as if she had just realised he was talking to her. "Um... well I..."

North tried not to roll her eyes, it would have been a perfect time for a distraction speech. Plan B it was. North snatched her gun back off the man beside her, one clearly not paying enough attention and pointed the pistol straight at Tyler's head. "She's our leverage, obviously." She said with a smart-ass smile.

Tyler sighed with exasperation. "Yeah, that."

North was holding the man's gaze, steely and brutal. It was a challenge. "Let us go, unharmed you get her." It's not like they had anything to lose at this point. Tyler wasn't someone he had any reason to care about but North making her out to be something that was _theirs_ instead of _his_ might just be enough to push his human pride to the edge.

The man was apparently thinking it over, coming to his conclusion soon after. "Fine. Give her over." Tyler didn't even care that she was been bargained for like some half unwanted object, she knew exactly what kind of world she had stepped into the day her roommate had died in agony. Her only goal now was to finish the job she had come here to do.

"Go to them." North said from her side, gun still trained. She met her eyes in silent agreement. Something had to be done and it had to be done now.

Tyler moved slowly, cautiously towards the side of the room and the soldiers waiting for her.

Frigus, thinking the situation was being handled just fine, slammed the black box on the unit next to him and aimed his own gun at it.

The androids tensed. "No, don't." Tyler stopped moving causing the men to shift uncomfortably, demanding she keep going.

North could see they were getting antsy. "It's fine, Tyler, keep going." Everything in her tone screamed it was not okay, she was panicking, and she was angry. For one they couldn't lose that box and they couldn't lose the girl who knew how to use it either.

Tyler had froze, making like she wanted to go over to Frigus and stop him herself. The armed men of the room were getting louder, telling her to move. North was shouting just to keep walking, but she was ready to run for that box herself. North was ready to die for it - even if that meant dying right here in this room.

"You don't need to." Her hand held carefully out in front of her, Tyler attempted to reason with the man who was shaking with tension but not moving his weapon.

Tyler went stiff as he cocked his gun. North knew she was going to run at him, could see it in her stance. Knew that there was nothing she could do to stop the chaos which was about to go down in this room. "Tyler, don't!" She screamed one last time, knees arched and ready to move.

There was an audible slam as Markus burst through the side stairwell door and without a moment of hesitation started firing. "Get down." He shouted at his group. they dropped scrambling for any discarded weapons. All except North who without any care for the bullets whirring around her ran for the box. She was three steps away. An RK went for her and Markus tackled it hard. She was two steps away. Kara stood up amidst the chaos and saw Frigus, who had been caught off guard re-aim his gun at the box. Her face marred in horror Kara fired a shot at his head. North was one step away - she was reaching out. Frigus pulled the trigger and the box shattered at the same time as his skull. North's momentum carried her and she couldn't skid to a stop in time, colliding with the man anyway and crashing to the floor with his now dead form. From the floor she heard Kara's cry.

Suddenly the six remaining androids came through the stairwell to the left and in a quick and bloody fight all the remaining adversaries were finished off.

"Tyler." Simon dropped down to the girl on the floor. "Are you okay?" To his relief she lifted her head up, "I'm good."

To their side Markus was firing an extra bullet into the head of a downed 900, for good measure. "North?" He shouted cautiously, wondering if she was okay.

He got his answer when North stood up, pushing the dead mans body off herself and waving her arms up hysterically. "You know what's not good?!" North shrieked as Simon was helping Tyler to her feet. Markus, Kara and all the other androids faced North who was picking up the shattered remains of the box with blank expressions. "This!" She threw it at the ground where it exploded into more tiny pieces.

"Crap." Tyler said.

"You think!?" North cried.

"What do we do?" Simon asked. He was looking to Markus but it was Tyler who answered.

"It's alright. The three of you can still do it. Markus and Kara are here we, just need Connor."

"Look." One of the androids said, peering down the window where they could see just outside the main doors.

Groups of unfriendly armed people were scurrying in. A lot of them.

"If Connor's down there..." Tyler started.

"Then we need to get him." Markus finished strongly. "I can't seem to contact him."

"I can find him." Kara said. "I've done it before."

"Kara. Markus." Tyler warned. "Now that the box is destroyed you three need to stay alive or this cure is lost forever. You cannot die."

"I know. But we need all three of us and I can find him." Kara assured her.

"If you're going there's no point in me staying here." Markus concluded.

"I'll go too." Simon seconded.

The other six remaining joined in and Markus nodded proudly. He thought about it for a moment, looking at Tyler. "Someone needs to stay with her. You can't die either, Tyler."

He caught North's gaze who sighed wearily knowing there was no cause or time for a repeat argument. "I'll stay, Markus."

Markus smiled gratefully at her and then back at the rest of them, "I trust that you can all do this."

Simon smiled back at him, "We can, Markus."

* * *

Time moved slowly. Each second was tearing through him. He couldn't do it anymore. He just couldn't.

Hank made to get out of his bed. Every part of his body protested against it. His vision blurred, his blood rushed but damn it he couldn't just lie here anymore. Connor was out there dealing with god knows what and he had to do something.

First, to be sure, he called Connor. Predictably no answer. Then Markus.

"Hank?"

"Markus?" Hank started in surprise, "Thank shit, where are you, what's happening!?"

Markus explained what was going down and Hank knew what he needed. A ride. For the second regrettable time today he called Gavin.

* * *

Connor re awoke to a loud and uncomfortable panting. Strained breathing echoed around him and a familiar pale face loomed over him. He could smell the scent of burning electricity, which smelled vaguely like burnt toast.

"Elijah?" For the life of him Connor couldn't remember the man's full name.

"Good." Elijah choked out, he sounded about ready to keel over. "You can still talk. Now can you sit up?"

Connor realised he was on his back. He could only see half of the world now. And he remembered even less of it. Though, with some effort he could indeed sit up.

"Connor, thank god." A woman's voice was on his _bad_ side, he couldn't quite see her.

"Don't worry, it's me. Not her."

Connor turned to see her. _It's me not her._ "Will."

Willow smiled at him. "Yeah."

Elijah was prodding at Connor - doing something he couldn't register.

The founder choked violently. "You can thank your 900 friend you're still here. He generously donated his parts to you. They'll give you some extra time. Maybe enough to get out of here and acquire some assistance."

Willow leaned closer, noticing Connor's confusion explained further. "Erica killed Blaze. You know that don't you. I managed to take control after that." She spoke slowly for him. "Kamski's using some of him to keep you going a little longer."

Kamski? Connor wasn't sure he'd ever heard the word before.

"Chloe." He managed to get out. Elijah discreetly winced.

"I'm sorry, Connor." Willow put her hand on his and shook her head solemnly.

Both Willow and Elijah flinched. Connor wasn't sure why. It took him a few extra seconds to catch up to the sound of the alarm, to see the shift in lighting from white to red.

"Can't be good." Willow commented and Elijah shook his head slowly in agreement.

The alarm stopped and now there was a ringing. "Elijah, your phone." Willow said. Elijah didn't move. It didn't look like he could so Willow reached over and dug it out of his pocket.

"Hello? No, Markus, it's me."

For some reason Elijah smiled, amused.

Willow's face was grave as she listened. "Connor, they need you."

She was explaining something. Something important he was sure, but he really didn't know what important meant anymore.

"Just finish this." He heard Elijah say bitterly, Willow's grave face shining with something like pity.

Connor registered the red on the man. The blood. Oh, right, he wasn't going to make it. That's what they were upset about, why the mood was so sour.

Time passed. "Let's go, Connor." The woman was saying - he couldn't remember her name - on her way to his side. "The rest are coming, we'll get you up there."

"Wait." The abruptness of Elijah's cry actually hurt Connor, his eyes blurred and flickered. The man leaned in on him, to the girl's confusion. Close and personal, he was saying something, whispering more like. Another something important, he was sure. Connor just hoped he could remember it later.

"Sorry." A voice said. Connor understood it was his own. Didn't matter that he didn't know what he was sorry for, it got Elijah to smile.

Willow - the girl's name, now he remembers - helps him up. Not easily. "Let's finish this, Connor."

...

...


	26. Final

Willow had dragged Connor as far as she could. Which wasn't very far at all.

The elevator didn't seem to be working anymore, figures.

"Stairs it is." Willow conceded. She had Connor's full weight on her, even for an android with her strength it wasn't anything easy.

Connor had a single moment of clarity as the two dragged themselves through the building, alarms blaring and lights shining overhead. For a single moment he knew who he was, he knew he was dying and he knew that's not what mattered most.

"I'll forget again, Willow." He told her, urgency in his voice. Willow pursed her lips not knowing what to say but knowing what he meant. "I'll forget so you have to make sure we get there."

"I will." She assured him. Erica- Amber whatever her stupid name was-, was still inside her but she felt her now. There was always a feeling of wrongness inside her, people will say she should have known - but denials an easy thing and Erica always had the upper hand. Not anymore, now Willow knew she herself had the control. As about what to do with the damaged android still living inside of her, that would come later. They had to survive today first.

It wasn't long before Willow heard them. First it was the skid of cars outside, the thrum of boots, weapons being loaded. It was insane. They were insane and if things weren't so dire right now she'd be blind with indignant rage. It turns out the amount of people who wanted androids gone was higher than even she thought. "You think they'd give us a break?" She tried to joke. Connor didn't seem to be in the mood.

Willow tried not to look at his face. Jesus his face. He should be gone. And the people they were getting closer and they were barely at the stairwell yet. They were limping pathetically, in a completely futile attempt at this point - what was she supposed to do? Stopping wasn't an option. Hauling Connor one step at a time, feeling the strain of everything on her shoulders. This was it. This was all she had.

* * *

"I see them!" Simon yelled. He was pointing to where Willow and Connor were, barely just making it to the stairwell opposite of the one he and his group were coming down.

"Look behind them." Kara warned, though unnecessary. They could all see the group of armed humans gaining on them, aiming their weapons and a few moments away from shooting.

Markus was already at the bottom before anyone else could react, running out with his hands up and yelling at the humans to stop. He startled them so bad one turned and fired at him, barely missing and hitting the wall behind him. Willow flinched so violently at the sound - sure those bullets were for her- her legs buckled and both she and Connor dropped to the floor. "Kara, get to them. Simon with me." Markus ordered, hands still up in a gesture of surrender. There was always hope in him that things could be solved without violence - _more_ violence- but he wasn't so naive to think things would go his way. His gun was ready for when things would go downhill.

After realising she hadn't been shot in the back Willow pulled her and her friend up and threw him and herself through the door to the stairwell, landing on the floor again. "Sorry, Connor."

Not a few moments later Kara had burst in with them. She stopped completely, "Connor..." She stared at what was left of him and then to Willow like she'd have all the answers.

Willow shook her head as if to say _'Not now.'_ "Help me." She said instead, "We have to get him up there."

Kara glared at the stairs, swallowing her horror. How were they supposed to get him up there? "Like this...how?" They were both thinking it, he might not even live that long.

"I don't know! But we have to try." Willow yelled in frustration.

To their surprise Connor spoke up, staring at Kara with his one undamaged eye, sincerity was still his default. "It is okay, Kara. I can make it." His words weren't clear or simple to understand, they were entirely unconvincing but Kara found herself unable to not trust him. She nodded, her eyes watering.

Each girl took his arms and together they stood up to the daunting tasks of the dozens of sets of stairs that were looming down on them. Kara tilted her head to Willow in affirmation that she was ready.

"Nice to meet you, for real, by the way." Kara said rather dryly and Willow couldn't tell if she was joking.

Gravely, Willow said "Let's go."

* * *

"They're through the stairwell, Markus. You should go." Simon called through the fight which had inevitably started. Before Markus could reject he added, "You can't die, Markus."

"Neither can you."

"I'll be okay." Simon assured him. He really wouldn't but sacrifices had to be made. In this moment he knew his life just didn't hold the same weight, even if Markus didn't agree.

The hate in the air could have tuned out the sounds of the bullets. So much contempt for a species who only wanted to _live_. And they were outnumbered. In this final battle humans just simply outnumbered them.

"Markus, you have to go now!" Simon was shouting.

Markus stopped firing. He stood and watched, for once he didn't know what to do. He looked at Simon and his remaining few androids.

"It's over for us, Markus." Simon said quieter so only he could hear. "You can still save the rest of us now, go." He insisted.

Markus didn't need to thank him for his bravery, Simon could see it in his eyes.

There was a clang. More footsteps and then suddenly the area was overrun with humans.

Humans, but not enemies.

"Detroit police department stop and lower your weapons."

Markus and Simon watched with wide eyes. Markus recognised the voice. Agent Fowler.

Fowler came over and the visor lifted from his mask. "Hank called us and said you might be needing some assistance."

Markus and Simon shared one brief glance of hope and relief.

"You're protecting them!" One of the Cyberlife men being held up by the police shouted indignantly.

"Yes, now lower your weapons." The agent turned back to Markus, "Go, Markus, we've got this covered."

From the side unnoticed came Hank who was taking some reluctant assistance from Gavin and making their way over. Markus didn't know how the older man was even standing.

He came up without so much as an introduction. "Markus, take me to Connor."

* * *

All three of them fell to their knees.

"We could be making worse progress." Willow said wearily. Kara side-glared at her, if that was supposed to be some type of positive outlook she wasn't having it.

They had made it up a good few sets of stairs, not quite close to the top of the enormous tower but they weren't on the ground floor anymore, so that was something.

Kara attempted to stand, taking Connor up with her. "We have to keep moving."

Willow stared down at her hands which were covered in Connor's blood as if she was just noticing. "We're really not going to make it." She said smally.

"Don't talk like that." Kara persisted. "We can do this but we have to keep going."

The other girl was ignoring her, still watching her hands and shaking her head with dread.

"Willow!"

It wasn't Kara's persistent yelling that snapped her out of it but the sound of the stairwell door below them swinging open and slamming shut. The two girls looked at each other in panic. "They're coming." Willow said.

Kara pulled out her gun and pointed it down the steps shakily. Willow was gripping Connor knowing that when they were overrun there would be nothing they could do about it.

They rounded the steps and Kara set off a shot.

Luckily, she missed.

"Wow," Markus held up his hands. "It's just us. You need some help?"

Kara lowered her gun, more relieved than she thought was possible. "Yes, we could." She breathed.

The others climbed up to them. "Fuck, he's not looking so good." Gavin stated unhelpfully.

Hank leaned down slowly to Connor, his wound protesting violently making his stomach churn in pain. "Connor, can you hear me?"

"Hank?"

"Yeah I'm right here, son. You ready to get up there?" Hank asked carefully.

"'m ready, Hank." Connor managed.

"Good." His eyes were welling up. "I've got you."

"We all do." It was Markus.

"There isn't much time. Things are bad out there in the world." Gavin told the group.

"What are we waiting for." Kara said quiet, but earnestly.

Together the seven of them started up the steps.

* * *

North and Tyler had been waiting anxiously and impatiently for what felt like a lifetime. North was tapping her foot in time to Tyler's incessant pacing. If something didn't happen soon she swore she would go down there. There was a burning in her stomach - the pain - she surmised, for some it was instant and for some it started slow, she knew she didn't have long left and North wasn't sure she could take much more of this wait game.

And then they were there. Markus, Hank, Kara, Willow, Gavin, Simon and on the edge of life, Connor.

North knew some shit had gone down, but unlike Tyler who was staring at Connor with horrified concern she didn't pay his or any of the others injures any mind. "Can you do this?" She asked Connor specifically.

It took him a few seconds but he nodded, "I can." He responded with difficulty.

As North barked her name Tyler snapped out of her daze and went to setting things up. "I need the three of you to come over here. Connect to this," She motioned to the signal she had set up," And then connect to each other."

"Thank you." Markus said to her sincerely as the three prepared.

"You can do this, son." Hank told Connor, hoping that it would get through to him.

The room was tense with the fear of failure but there was also hope. Either way this was soon to be over. The three of them held hands with one another, closed their eyes and with a great glow connected.

They were the code. Swimming and flying through numbers and letters, patterns and lights. It sparked and shifted with static but they kept going through. Intertwining with each other and pressing and pulling forcefully. It fought back as the redness that represented the pain and the violence pushed and pushed until they were nothing more than separated globs of blue code, skittering and flickering and almost completely gone.

Kara thought of Alice, in all her pain and suffering and remembered what she was like in all her joy and life and pushed back.

Markus thought of his people, his friends, the world and his right to live in it and decided for one final push.

Connor couldn't think of anything clear, but he felt the wrongness in this and the rightness in the people he was surrounded with and for that he fought. He pushed back.

The three of them melded back into one another until they were a shining flask of blue light and they got bigger and bigger until everything in this system was them. Every android in the world felt it - like a gift. rA9 was finally here. They kept going until there was no more red or hate or pain and then in one quick movement their merged forms exploded. The system from the inside, exploded.

On the outside the lights of the building were flickering and flashing. Nearby computers were sparking and the other androids were stock still in awe before it was all finally over.

The room glowed as the light came back on fully and they knew it was done. The three androids snapped out of it and pulled back from each other, eyes wide and shaking. Connor fell instantly but knew someone was there to catch him. For a moment he felt connected to everyone. He felt the pain of each android who was currently inflicted fade and pull away, felt their relief and their hope and he knew his work was done.

* * *

The android was staring through the glass and out onto the trees beyond, her pale reflection somewhat staring back at her.

"How are you doing?" Connor asked her tentatively, coming up behind her.

She turned with a surprisingly sweet smile. "Should I not be asking you that? I wasn't the one missing any face." Chloe murmured playfully.

Connor chuckled. It had seemed like the end for him for quite some time. A few good weeks had gone by where he was repaired and worked on and repaired some more. If Kamski were still alive things surely would have gone along faster. Though his continued survival was something of miracle, even for an android. There were times when he forgot things, and all the physical damage wasn't yet fully fixed and for some reason one eye was browner than the other but he knew who he was. They had won and he actually felt...good.

"I wasn't the one who died." He countered, somehow knowing it wouldn't offend her or come out the wrong way.

Chloe smiled and turned back to face the window. "Elijah told you how to save me. Bring me back, didn't he? Before he died."

"Yes." He said simply. It had taken him a while after first waking up to remember Kamski's final words to him, whispered in haste before Willow had dragged him to his feet and they had been on their way. Kamski had always had a backup plan for his Chloe, Connor should've known that he would have never let her be gone forever. Kamski was a complicated man perhaps but not heartless. Her consciousness, her memories, supposedly everything she was was in her new but identical body. Connor wondered if it really was the exact same version of her. She certainly seemed the same. "I'm glad he did. And I'm sorry." He added.

"I will miss him." Chloe said solemnly before putting on a brave face and raising an eyebrow at him. "Connor, why are you still talking to me? I think you have someone waiting for you." Chloe motioned outside to the door behind her with her shoulder.

He hesitated to leave her but she assured him that despite the loss of her friend she would be alright. "Now hurry." She insisted, practically shooing him away. He smiled at her before leaving.

Connor found her outside. He could see her with a healthy Alice and Luther, talking and laughing before she spotted him and excused herself. She was beaming, Connor noted.

Finally she was only a few steps in front of him.

I'm surprised you managed to get a moment away," Kara said treading up to him through the grass. "Hank, he's been fussing over you for weeks."

Connor smiled sentimentally. "Yes, he is overbearing in the loving way. I appreciate it."

"I'm the same with Alice." She admitted.

"She looks happy."

"Thanks to you."

"To us,"Connor added.

"I think we did good back there." Kara said happily.

"I think we did." Connor agreed. He frowned and added, "And what now?"

"Whatever we want, I guess." She answered somewhat nervously.

It finally felt like the right moment for that kiss.


End file.
